Part 7: Supplementary and final provision Section 197: Prosecution
This section makes it clear which enforcement agencies are responsible for prosecuting offences under this Act. Subsection (1) provides that in England and Wales, prosecutions can be brought by the Commissioner or by, or with the consent of, the Director of Public Prosecutions. Subsection (2) provides that prosecutions in Northern Ireland can be brought by the Commissioner or by, or with the consent of, the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland. In Scotland, the Procurator Fiscal handles all prosecutions in the public interest. There is therefore no need for the kind of provision made in this section for Scotland as for other parts of the UK.
	Subsections (3) to (7) concern periods allowed for commencement of prosecutions for an offence under section 173 of this Act (alteration etc. of personal data to prevent disclosure).