{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/diseases-of-animals-northern-ireland-order-1981/article-53",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/diseases-of-animals-northern-ireland-order-1981/article-53.json",
  "legislation": "nisi/1981/1115",
  "legislation_title": "The Diseases of Animals (Northern Ireland) Order 1981",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/diseases-of-animals-northern-ireland-order-1981",
  "path": "article/53",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "53",
  "heading": "Offences in respect of Article 3",
  "text": "(1) 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 exceeding level 3 on the standard scale or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months, or to both.\n(2) 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—\n(a) in the case of a first offence to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale; and\n(b) in the case of a second or subsequent offence, to a fine not exceeding £50 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one month, or to both.\n(3) In considering for the purposes of paragraph (2) or subsection (3) of section 40 of the Agriculture Act (Northern Ireland) 1949, 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 1937.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "1984 NI 3"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "1949 c. 2 (NI)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "1937 c. 70"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "Art. 53 applied (23.2.2006) by Foot-and-Mouth Disease Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 (S.R. 2006/42), reg. 60(d)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisi/1981/1115/article/53",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T04:51:34.555607+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}