Commentary on Sections (c) offences
175.Section 42 makes provision for offences in relation to registration and information returns. Subsection (1) provides that it is an offence for a person who is required to provide information under section 8(1) (duty to register in 30 days following first instance of regulated lobbying when not an active registrant) to fail to provide the information on or before the date the by which the person is required to do so or provide information which is inaccurate or incomplete in a material particular.
176.Subsection (2) provides that it is an offence for a person to provide, in an application for registration under section 9, information which is inaccurate or incomplete in a material particular.
177.Subsection (3) provides that it is an offence for a person who is required to submit an information return under section 11 to fail to submit the return on or before the date by which the person is required to do so or provide information which is inaccurate or incomplete in a material particular.
178.Subsection (4) provides that it is a defence to a charge in proceedings against a person for an offence under subsections (1) to (3) to show that the person exercised all due diligence to avoid committing the offence. This imposes an evidential burden only on the person.
179.Subsection (5) provides that a person who commits an offence under subsections (1) to (3) is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.