# Tattooing of Minors (Northern Ireland) Order 1979

1979/926 · made 26 July 1979 · revised to 1 January 2006

PDFs: Printed copy https://openlegislation.uk/tattooing-of-minors-northern-ireland-order-1979/pdf/uksi_19790926_en.pdf

## Introductory text

[26th July 1979]

## 1 Title and commencement

This Order may be cited as the Tattooing of Minors (Northern Ireland) Order 1979 … Commencement …

## 2 Interpretation

(1) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 1954 c.33 shall apply to Article 1 and the following provisions of this Order as it applies to a Measure of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
(2) In this Order—
“medical practitioner” means a fully registered person within the meaning of section 54(1) of the Medical Act 1956 1956 c.76;
“minor” means a person under the age of 18;
“tattoo” means the insertion into the skin of any colouring material designed to leave a permanent mark.

## 3 Prohibition of tattooing of minors

(1) Subject to Article 4, any person who tattoos a minor shall be guilty of an offence.
(2) A person guilty of an offence under paragraph (1) shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding five hundred pounds.

## 4 Defences

A person shall not be guilty of an offence under Article 3—
(a) if he reasonably believes that the minor is not under the age of 18; or
(b) if, being a medical practitioner or working under the direction of a medical practitioner, he performs the tattoo for medical reasons.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisi/1979/926 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/tattooing-of-minors-northern-ireland-order-1979
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.