{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/energy-act-2004/section-97",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/energy-act-2004/section-97.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2004/20",
  "legislation_title": "Energy Act 2004",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/energy-act-2004",
  "path": "section/97",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "97",
  "heading": "Offences relating to safety zones",
  "text": "(1) Where a vessel enters or remains in a safety zone in contravention of section 96(1), the vessel’s owner and her master are each guilty of an offence.\n(2) Where—\n(a) a vessel enters or remains in a safety zone with a permission granted for the purposes of section 96, and\n(b) there is a contravention of a condition of that permission in relation to the vessel or individuals on the vessel,\nthe vessel’s owner and her master are each guilty of an offence.\n(3) A person who carries on an activity wholly or partly in a safety zone in contravention of section 96(2) is guilty of an offence.\n(4) Where—\n(a) a person carries on an activity wholly or partly in a safety zone with a permission granted for the purposes of section 96, and\n(b) there is a contravention of a condition of that permission in relation to the carrying on of that activity,\nthat person is guilty of an offence.\n(5) A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable—\n(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum;\n(b) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to a fine, or to both.\n(6) In proceedings against a person as the owner of a vessel for an offence under subsection (1) or (2), it is a defence for him to show that the existence of the safety zone—\n(a) was not known to the master of the vessel in question at the time of the offence; and\n(b) would not have become known to the master had he made reasonable inquiries before that time.\n(7) In any other proceedings against a person for an offence under this section, it is a defence for that person to show that the existence of the safety zone—\n(a) was not known to him at the time of the offence; and\n(b) would not have become known to him had he made reasonable inquiries before that time.\n(8) It is also a defence in proceedings against a person for an offence under this section for that person to show that he took all reasonable steps to prevent the contravention in question.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "Ss. 95-98 applied (E.W.) (22.12.2021) by The Morlais Demonstration Zone Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/1478), arts. 1, 43(3)(4) (with arts. 15, 50, Sch. 11 para. 29)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 97 in force at 1.10.2005 by S.I. 2005/877, art. 2(2), Sch. 2"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/20/section/97",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:17:05.990250+00:00",
    "licence": "OGL-UK-3.0",
    "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."
  }
}