Consumer Protection Act 2007
Liability for offences by bodies corporate.
77.— (1) If an offence under this Act is committed by a body corporate and is proved to have been committed with the consent, connivance or approval of, or to have been attributable to any neglect on the part of any person being a director, manager, secretary or any other officer of the body corporate or a person purporting to act in any such capacity, that person, as well as the body corporate, is guilty of an offence and is liable to be proceeded against and punished as if that person were guilty of the first-mentioned offence.
(2) If, in a prosecution for an offence against the person referred to in subsection (1), it is proved that, at the material time, the person was a director of the body corporate or an employee of it whose duties included making decisions that, to a significant extent, could have affected the management of the body corporate, or a person who purported to act in any such capacity, it shall be presumed, until the contrary is shown, that the person consented to the doing of the acts or defaults that constitute the offence.
(3) Subsection (2) shall be read as placing on the person referred to in that subsection an evidential burden only with respect to the matter or matters concerned.
(4) If the affairs of a body corporate are managed by its members, subsections (1) and (2) apply in relation to the acts or defaults of a member in connection with the member’s functions of management as if that member were a director or manager of the body corporate.
(5) If a body corporate commits an offence under this Act, an employee, officer, director or agent of the body corporate who authorises, permits or acquiesces in the commission of the offence also commits an offence, whether or not the body corporate is prosecuted for the offence.
(6) In a prosecution for an offence under this Act, it is sufficient proof of the offence to establish that it was committed by an employee, officer, director or agent of the defendant, whether or not the employee, officer, director or agent is identified or has been prosecuted for the offence.
(7) Subsection (6) does not apply if the defendant establishes that the defendant exercised due diligence to prevent the commission of the offence.
Annotations
Modifications (not altering text):
C14
Section applied with modifications and references construed (3.12.2018) by European Union (Unjustified Geoblocking of Consumers) Regulations 2018 (S.I. No. 513 of 2018), reg. 5(3), in effect as per reg. 1(2), (3).
Offences
5. ...
(3) Sections 77, 78, 80 and 84 of the Act of 2007 shall apply to an offence under these Regulations as they apply to an offence under that Act and, accordingly, references in those sections to an offence under that Act shall be construed as including references to an offence under these Regulations.
C15
Section applied with modifications and references construed (9.01.2016) by European Union (Online Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes) Regulations 2015 (S.I. No. 500 of 2015), reg. 4(3), in effect as per reg. 1(2).
Offences
4. ...
(3) Sections 77, 78, 80 and 84 of the Act of 2007 shall apply to an offence under these Regulations as they apply to an offence under that Act and, accordingly, references in those sections to an offence under that Act shall be construed as including references to an offence under these Regulations.
C16
Section applied with modifications and references construed (31.07.2015) by European Union (Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes) Regulations 2015 (S.I. No. 343 of 2015), reg. 18(6).
Consumer information by traders
18. ...
(6) Sections 77, 78, 80 and 84 of the Act of 2007 shall apply to an offence under these Regulations as they apply to an offence under that Act and, accordingly, references in those sections to an offence under that Act shall be construed as including references to an offence under these Regulations.
C17
Certain functions of National Consumer Agency under section extended to Commission for Communications Regulation (13.06.2014) by Communications Regulation Act 2002 (20/2002), s. 10(1A)-(1E), as inserted by European Union (Consumer Information, Cancellation and Other Rights) Regulations 2013 (S.I. No. 484 of 2013), reg. 34(1)(c), in effect as per reg. 1(2).
Functions of Commission.
10.— ...
[(1A) The functions of the Agency specified in subsection (1B) are (insofar as they relate to the provision of electronic communications networks, electronic communications services, associated facilities and premium rate services) also functions of the Commission, and subsections (1B) to (1E) have effect for the purposes of this subsection.
(1B) The functions of the Agency referred to in subsection (1A) are the functions of the Agency under section 67, section 71, section 73, sections 75 to 77, section 80, sections 83 to 87 and section 90 of the Consumer Protection Act 2007 in relation to the European Communities (Consumer Information, Cancellation and Other Rights) Regulations 2013 (S.I. No. 484 of 2013).—
(1C) Subsection (1A) operates to vest in the Commission, concurrently with the vesting in the Agency of those functions by the Consumer Protection Act 2007, the functions specified in subsection (1B).
(1D) Accordingly—
(a) functions so specified are, subject to any relevant co-operation agreement entered into under section 21 of the Consumer Protection Act 2007, capable of being performed by either the Agency or the Commission, and
(b) subject to subsection (1E), references to the Agency in the provisions of the Act specified in subsection (1B) are to be read as including references to the Commission and those provisions otherwise apply.
(1E) Where any section of the Consumer Protection Act 2007 specified in subsection (1B) provides for anything to be done in relation to the Agency (whether the giving of notice to it, the submitting of a thing to it or the doing of any other thing) then, if a co-operation agreement entered into under section 21 of that Act so specifies, it is sufficient compliance with the section concerned if the thing is done in relation to the Agency or the Commission as is specified in that agreement.]
C18
Application of section extended (13.06.2014) by European Union (Consumer Information, Cancellation and Other Rights) Regulations 2013 (S.I. No. 484 of 2012), reg. 38(2), in effect as per reg. 1(2).
38. ...
(2) Sections 76 to 78 and sections 80, 83 and 84 of the Act of 2007 shall apply to an offence under these Regulations as they apply to an offence under that Act and, accordingly, references in those sections to an offence under that Act shall be construed as including references to an offence under these Regulations.
C19
Application of section extended (8.05.2012) by European Union (Textile Fibre Names and Related Labelling and Marking of the Fibre Composition of Textile Products) Regulations 2012 (S.I. No. 142 of 2012), reg. 11(5), in effect as per reg. 1(2).
11. ...
(5) Sections 77, 78 and 80 of the Act of 2007 shall apply to an offence under these Regulations as they apply to an offence under that Act and accordingly references in those sections to an offence under that Act shall be construed as including references to an offence under these Regulations.
...
C20
Application of section extended (23.02.2011) by European Union (Protection of Consumers in respect of Timeshare, Long-term Holiday Product, Resale and Exchange Contracts) Regulations 2011 (S.I. No. 73 of 2011), reg. 24(2), in effect as per reg. 1(2).
Offences and penalties
24. ...
(2) Sections 77, 78 and 80 of the Act of 2007 shall apply to an offence under these Regulations as they apply to an offence under that Act and, accordingly, references in those sections to an offence under that Act shall be construed as including references to an offence under these Regulations.
C21
Application of section extended (11.04.2009) by European Communities (Prepacked Products) Regulations 2008 (S.I. No. 566 of 2008), reg. 10(4), in effect as per reg. 1(2).
10. ...
(4) Sections 77, 78 and 80 of the Act of 2007 shall apply to an offence under these Regulations as they apply to an offence under that Act and, accordingly, references in those sections to an offence under that Act shall be construed as including references to an offence under these Regulations.
...
Editorial Notes:
E70
Previous affecting provision: application of section extended (27.09.2010) by European Communities (Names and Labelling of Textile Products) Regulations 2010 (S.I. No. 485 of 2010), reg. 19(5); subsequently revoked (8.05.2012) by European Union (Textile Fibre Names and Related Labelling and Marking of the Fibre Composition of Textile Products) Regulations 2012 (S.I. No. 142 of 2012), reg. 13(a), in effect as per reg. 1(2).