Section 5 Unauthorised entry etc to a prohibited placeI1I2
United Kingdom
A person commits an offence if—
the person—
accesses, enters, inspects or passes over or under a prohibited place, or
causes an unmanned vehicle or device to access, enter, inspect or pass over or under a prohibited place,
that conduct is unauthorised, and
the person knows, or having regard to other matters known to them ought reasonably to know, that their conduct is unauthorised.
A person’s conduct is unauthorised if the person—
is not entitled to determine whether they may engage in the conduct, and
does not have consent to engage in the conduct from a person so entitled.
In subsection (1)(a) a reference to inspecting a prohibited place includes taking, or procuring the taking of, photographs, videos or other recordings of the prohibited place.
For the purposes of this section, a person engages in conduct mentioned in subsection (1)(a) if the person does so in person or by electronic or remote means.
A person who commits an offence under this section is liable—
on summary conviction in England and Wales, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding the maximum term for summary offences or a fine (or both);
on summary conviction in Scotland, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale (or both);
on summary conviction in Northern Ireland, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale (or both).
Annotations
Commencement
- I1
S. 5 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 100(1)
- I2
S. 5 in force at 20.12.2023 by S.I. 2023/1272, reg. 2(a)