FOOD ACT 1984 - SECT 51B Criminal liability of officers of bodies corporate—failure to exercise due diligence (legal burden of proof)

FOOD ACT 1984 - SECT 51B

    (1)     If a body corporate commits an offence against a provision specified in subsection (2), an officer of the body corporate also commits an offence against the provision.

    (2)     For the purposes of subsection (1), the following provisions are specified—

        (a)     section 8;

        (b)     section 8A;

        (c)     section 9;

        (d)     section 9A;

        (e)     section 10(1) and (2);

        (f)     section 10A(1) and (2);

        (g)     section 11(1) and (2);

        (h)     section 12(1) and (2);

              (i)     section 13(1), (2) and (3);

        (j)     section 14(1);

        (k)     section 15(1) and (2);

        (l)     section 16(1), (2), (3) and (4);

S. 51B(2)(la) inserted by No. 2/2017 s. 10.

        (la)     section 18D(1);

S. 51B(2)(lb) inserted by No. 2/2017 s. 10.

        (lb)     section 18F(1);

        (m)     section 19(7) and (8);

        (n)     section 19AA(8) and (9);

        (o)     section 19A(7) and (8);

        (p)     section 19B(7);

        (q)     section 19CB(6);

        (r)     section 19F;

        (s)     section 19GB;

        (t)     section 35A(1) and (2);

        (u)     section 38F(2);

              (v)     section 39B;

        (w)     section 39C;

              (x)     section 43I(1);

        (y)     section 44E.

    (3)     It is a defence to a charge for an offence against a provision specified in subsection (2) for an officer of a body corporate to prove that the officer exercised due diligence to prevent the commission of the offence by the body corporate.

    (4)     In determining whether an officer of a body corporate exercised due diligence, a court may have regard to—

        (a)     what the officer knew, or ought reasonably to have known, about the commission of the offence by the body corporate; and

        (b)     whether or not the officer was in a position to influence the body corporate in relation to the commission of the offence by the body corporate; and

        (c)     what steps the officer took, or could reasonably have taken, to prevent the commission of the offence by the body corporate; and

        (d)     any other relevant matter.

    (5)     Without limiting any other defence available to the officer, an officer of a body corporate may rely on a defence that would be available to the body corporate if it were charged with the offence with which the officer is charged and, in doing so, the officer bears the same burden of proof that the body corporate would bear.

    (6)     An officer of a body corporate may commit an offence against a provision specified in subsection (2) whether or not the body corporate has been prosecuted for, or found guilty of, an offence against that provision.

    (7)     In this section—

"body corporate "has the same meaning as in section 51A;

"officer "in relation to a body corporate, has the same meaning as in section 51A.