{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/management-of-hedgerows-england-regulations-2024/regulation-8",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/management-of-hedgerows-england-regulations-2024/regulation-8.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/2024/680",
  "legislation_title": "The Management of Hedgerows (England) Regulations 2024",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/management-of-hedgerows-england-regulations-2024",
  "path": "regulation/8",
  "kind": "regulation",
  "number": "8",
  "heading": "Defence",
  "text": "(1) In any proceedings for an offence under regulation 7(1) or (2) it is, subject to paragraph (3), a defence for a person to prove that—\n(a) the commission of the offence was due to—\n(i) a mistake,\n(ii) reliance on information supplied to that person;\n(iii) the act or default of another person; or\n(iv) an accident or some other cause beyond the control of that person; and\n(b) the person took all reasonable precautions and exercised all due diligence to avoid the commission of such an offence by themselves or by any person under their control.\n(2) A person may not, without leave of the court, seek to rely on a defence under paragraph (1)(a)(ii) or (iii) unless that person has served on the Regulator a notice giving the Regulator any information that the person may have to identify or assist in identifying that other person—\n(a) at least seven clear days before the hearing; and\n(b) where the accused has previously appeared before the court in connection with the alleged offence, within one month of the first such appearance.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "Reg. 8 in force at 23.5.2024, see reg. 1(1)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2024/680/regulation/8",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-28T21:29:02.457089+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."
}