Regulation 24 Penalties

If a ship to which these Regulations apply proceeds or attempts to proceed to sea or on a voyage or excursion without complying with the requirements of regulations 4 to 7 of these Regulations, the owner and master of the ship shall each be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or a fine, or both.

Any contravention of regulation 8(1), 21 paragraphs (1) to (5) or 22 shall be an offence by both the owner and master and shall be punishable on summary conviction by a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or, on conviction on indictment, by imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or a fine, or both.

Any contravention of regulation 19(3) shall be an offence, punishable on summary conviction by a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or conviction on indictment by imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months, or a fine, or both.

If a ship proceeds to sea without regulation 20 being complied with, the owner and master shall each be guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction by a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

Any contravention of regulation 23, being an offence corresponding to the offence under section 283 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1894, shall be an offence by both the owner and master and shall be punishable by a fine not exceeding £50,000 on summary conviction, or on conviction on indictment, by imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or a fine, or both.

Any contravention of regulation 21(6) shall be an offence by the master and shall be punishable on summary conviction by a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

It shall be a defence for a person charged with an offence under these Regulations to prove that he took all reasonable steps to ensure that the Regulations were complied with.