Article 53 Offences in respect of Article 3C1

Any person who knowingly or recklessly makes any false statement for the purpose of obtaining for himself or any other person any sum payable under Article 3 shall, unless in the case of an indictable offence he is indicted for the offence, be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceedingF1 level 3 on the standard scale or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months, or to both.

Any person who obstructs or impedes any person duly authorised under Article 9 to make any inspection shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction—

In considering for the purposes of paragraph (2) or subsection (3) of section 40 of the Agriculture Act (Northern Ireland) 1949F2, whether an offence is or is not a first offence, references to an offence punishable under this paragraph or that subsection shall be taken as including references to offences punishable under that subsection or this paragraph, as the case may be, or under subsection (2) of section 30 of the Agriculture Act 1937F3.