# The Zoos Licensing Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003, Regulation 24: Offences and penalties

Extent: N.I.

(1) If a zoo is operated without a licence in contravention of these Regulations, the operator of the zoo is guilty of an offence.
(2) If the holder of a licence fails without reasonable excuse to comply with any condition for the time being attached to a licence for the zoo granted under these Regulations and held by him, he is guilty of an offence.
(3) Any person who intentionally obstructs an inspector acting pursuant to these Regulations is guilty of an offence.
(4) Any person who intentionally obstructs a person duly authorised for the purposes of regulation 22(1) or (3) acting pursuant to that authorisation is guilty of an offence.
(5) If the holder of a licence for a zoo fails to comply with a requirement in a direction given to him under regulation 17(2)(d) to close the zoo, or a section of it, to the public for a period, he is guilty of an offence.
(6) If the operator of a zoo fails to comply with a zoo closure direction, he is guilty of an offence.
(7) If the operator of a zoo fails without reasonable excuse to comply with the requirement to supply information under regulations 14(3) or 21(2), he is guilty of an offence.
(8) If, contrary to regulation 21(4), the operator of a zoo makes arrangements for the future care of or disposes of any animal kept in the zoo without the agreement of the Department –
(a) before a plan prepared under regulation 21(1) has been approved by the Department, or
(b) other than in accordance with such a plan which has been approved by the Department,
he is guilty of an offence.
(9) If the operator of a zoo fails to comply with a direction given to him under regulation 21(5), he is guilty of an offence.
(10) If the holder of a licence fails without reasonable excuse to display the zoo licence or a copy of it at each public entrance to the zoo, he is guilty of an offence.
(11) Where, as part of any information required by the Department under these Regulations, any person knowingly provides false information to the Department, he is guilty of an offence.
(12) A person guilty of an offence under this regulation is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale for an offence under paragraphs (1), (2), (4), (5), (6), (8), or (9), and level 3 on the standard scale for an offence under paragraphs (3), (7), (10) or (11).
(13) For the purposes of this regulation, section 20(2) of the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 applies with the omission of the words “the liability of whose members is limited”.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2003/115/regulation/24 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/zoos-licensing-regulations-northern-ireland-2003/regulation-24
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.