OpenLegislation

Section 124 Offences: disclosure.I1I2F1

United Kingdom

Changes not yet applied. Later legislation changes this provision in ways not yet written into the text below:

(1)

A member, officer or employee of a body registered under section 120 commits an offence if he discloses information provided following an application under section F2113A or 113B unless he discloses it, in the course of his duties,—

(a)

to another member, officer or employee of the registered body,

(b)

to a member, officer or employee of a body at the request of which the registered body F3countersigned acted as the registered person in relation to the application, or

(c)

to an individual at whose request the registered body countersigned acted as the registered person in relation to the relevant application.

(2)

Where information is provided under section F4113A or 113B following an application F5countersigned in relation to which the person who acted as the registered person did so at the request of a body which is not registered under section 120, a member, officer or employee of the body commits an offence if he discloses the information unless he discloses it, in the course of his duties, to another member, officer or employee of that body.

(3)

Where information is provided under section F6113A or 113B following an application F7countersigned by or at the request of an individual in relation to which an individual acted as the registered person, or in relation to which the person who acted as the registered person did so at the request of an individual—

(a)

the individual commits an offence if he discloses the information unless he discloses it to an employee of his for the purpose of the employee’s duties, and

(b)

an employee of the individual commits an offence if he discloses the information unless he discloses it, in the course of his duties, to another employee of the individual.

(4)

Where information provided under section F8113A or 113B is disclosed to a person and the disclosure—

(a)

is an offence under this section, or

(b)

would be an offence under this section but for subsection F9... (6)(a), (d), (e) or (f),

the person to whom the information is disclosed commits an offence (subject to F10subsection (6)) if he discloses it to any other person.

(F115)

Subsections (1) to (4) do not apply to a disclosure of information provided in accordance with section F12113B(5) which is made with the written consent of the chief officer who provided the information.

(6)

Subsections (1) to (4) do not apply to a disclosure of information contained in a certificate under section F13113A or 113B which is made—

(a)

with the written consent of the applicant for the certificate, or

(b)

to a government department, or

(c)

to a person appointed to an office by virtue of any enactment, or

(d)

in accordance with an obligation to provide information under or by virtue of any enactment, or

(e)

for the purposes of answering an exempted question (within the meaning of section F14113A) of a kind specified in regulations made by the Secretary of State, or

(f)

for some other purpose specified in regulations made by the Secretary of State.

(7)

A person who is guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale, or to both.

Annotations

Textual amendments

F1

Pt. 5 repealed (S.) (1.4.2025) by Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 (asp 13), s. 97, sch. 5 para. 3 (with s. 96); S.S.I. 2025/27, reg. 3(1)(2), sch. (with regs. 4, 5, 7-10)

F2

Words in s. 124(1) substituted (1.4.2006 for S., 6.4.2006 for E.W., 3.12.2007 for N.I.) by Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15), s. 178(4)(e)(8), Sch. 14 para. 12(a); S.S.I. 2006/166, art. 2(1)(e); S.I. 2006/378, art. 7(c); S.I. 2007/3341, art. 2(d)

F3

Words in s. 124(1)(b)(c) substituted (E.W.) (2.3.2009) by The Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records) (Electronic Communications) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/203), arts. 1(1), 11(2)

F4

Words in s. 124(2) substituted (1.4.2006 for S., 6.4.2006 for E.W., 3.12.2007 for N.I.) by Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15), s. 178(4)(e)(8), Sch. 14 para. 12(a); S.S.I. 2006/166, art. 2(1)(e); S.I. 2006/378, art. 7(c); S.I. 2007/3341, art. 2(d)

F5

Words in s. 124(2) substituted (E.W.) (2.3.2009) by The Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records) (Electronic Communications) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/203), arts. 1(1), 11(3)

F6

Words in s. 124(3) substituted (1.4.2006 for S., 6.4.2006 for E.W., 3.12.2007 for N.I.) by Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15), s. 178(4)(e)(8), Sch. 14 para. 12(a); S.S.I. 2006/166, art. 2(1)(e); S.I. 2006/378, art. 7(c); S.I. 2007/3341, art. 2(d)

F7

Words in s. 124(3) substituted (E.W.) (2.3.2009) by The Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records) (Electronic Communications) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/203), arts. 1(1), 11(4)

F8

Words in s. 124(4) substituted (1.4.2006 for S., 6.4.2006 for E.W., 3.12.2007 for N.I.) by Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15), s. 178(4)(e)(8), Sch. 14 para. 12(a); S.S.I. 2006/166, art. 2(1)(e); S.I. 2006/378, art. 7(c); S.I. 2007/3341, art. 2(d)

F9

Words in s. 124(4)(b) repealed (E.W.) (10.9.2012 immediately after S.I. 2012/2157 comes into force) by Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (c. 9), s. 120, Sch. 9 para. 115(2)(a), Sch. 10 Pt. 6 (with s. 97); S.I. 2012/2234, art. 2(aa)(cc)(x); and repealed (N.I.) (2.11.2015) by Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 (c. 9), s. 106(2), Sch. 5 para. 16(5)(a), Sch. 9 Pt. 3; S.R. 2015/358, art. 2(m)(vi)

F10

Words in s. 124(4) substituted (E.W.) (10.9.2012 immediately after S.I. 2012/2157 comes into force) by Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (c. 9), s. 120, Sch. 9 para. 115(2)(b) (with s. 97); S.I. 2012/2234, art. 2(aa)(x); and substituted (N.I.) (2.11.2015) by Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 (c. 9), s. 106(2), Sch. 5 para. 16(5)(b); S.R. 2015/358, art. 2(m)(vi)

F11

S. 124(5) repealed (E.W.) (10.9.2012 immediately after S.I. 2012/2157 comes into force) by Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (c. 9), s. 120, Sch. 9 para. 115(3), Sch. 10 Pt. 6 (with s. 97); S.I. 2012/2234, art. 2(aa)(cc)(x)

F12

Word in s. 124(5) substituted (1.4.2006 for S., 6.4.2006 for E.W., 3.12.2007 for N.I.) by Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15), s. 178(4)(e)(8), Sch. 14 para. 12(b); S.S.I. 2006/166, art. 2(1)(e); S.I. 2006/378, art. 7(c); S.I. 2007/3341, art. 2(d)

F13

Words in s. 124(6) substituted (1.4.2006 for S., 6.4.2006 for E.W., 3.12.2007 for N.I.) by Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15), s. 178(4)(e)(8), Sch. 14 para. 12(a); S.S.I. 2006/166, art. 2(1)(e); S.I. 2006/378, art. 7(c); S.I. 2007/3341, art. 2(d)

F14

Word in s. 124(6)(e) substituted (1.4.2006 for S., 6.4.2006 for E.W., 3.12.2007 for N.I.) by Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15), s. 178(4)(e)(8), Sch. 14 para. 12(c); S.S.I. 2006/166, art. 2(1)(e); S.I. 2006/378, art. 7(c); S.I. 2007/3341, art. 2(d)

Commencement

I1

S. 124 in force at 1.3.2002 for E.W. by S.I. 2002/413, art. 2

I2

S. 124 in force at 3.12.2007 for N.I. by S.I. 2007/3342, art. 2(i)

Notes on Part V

Modifications

C1

Pt. 5: power to apply (with modifications) conferred (E.W.) (7.7.2005) by Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15), ss. 163(4), 178(2)

C2

Pt. 5 explained (7.7.2008 for specified purposes, 3.3.2011 for specified purposes, 10.3.2015 in so far as not already in force) by Data Protection Act 1998 (c. 29), s. 56(4) (as amended (19.5.2008) by 2006 c. 47, ss. 63, 65, Sch. 9 para. 15(3) (with ss. 51, 57(3), 60(4), 64(5)); S.I. 2008/1320, art. 3; S.I. 2008/1592, art. 2; S.I. 2011/601, art. 2; S.I. 2015/312, art. 2)

C3

Pt. 5 extended in part (Guernsey) (with modifications) (10.12.2009) by The Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records) (Guernsey) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/3215), arts. 1(2), 3, Sch. 1, Sch. 3 (with arts. 1(3), 6-8)

C4

Pt. 5 extended in part (Jersey) (with modifications) (18.3.2010) by The Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records) (Jersey) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/765), arts. 1(2), 3, Schs. 1, 3 (with arts. 1(3), 6-8)

C5

Pt. 5 extended in part (Isle of Man) (with modifications) (18.3.2010) by The Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records) (Isle of Man) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/764), arts. 1(2), 3, Schs. 1, 3 (with arts. 1(3), 6-8)