Uimhir 26 de 1972

AN tACHT UM CHIONTAÍ IN AGHAIDH AN STÁIT (LEASÚ), 1972

[An tiontú oifigiúil]

[3Nollaig, 1972]

Míniú.

1939, Uimh. 13.

1.—San Acht seo ciallaíonn “Acht 1939” an tAcht um Chiontaí in aghaidh an Stáit, 1939.

Cumhacht chun duine a gheofar gar d'áit ina ndearnadh cion sceidealta a cheistiú.

2.—Más rud é—

(a) go bhfuil foras réasúnach ag comhalta den Gharda Síochána lena chreidiúint go bhfuil á dhéanamh nó go ndearnadh in áit ar bith cion arb é atá ann de thuras na huaire cion sceidealta chun críocha Chuid V d'Acht 1939,

(b) go bhfuil foras réasúnach ag comhalta den Gharda Síochána lena chreidiúint i dtaobh aon duine a gheobhaidh sé ag an áit nó gur don áit tráth déanta an chiona nó go luath ina dhiaidh sin, gurb eol dó, nó gurbh eol dó an tráth sin, i dtaobh a dhéanta, agus

(c) go gcuirfidh an comhalta den Gharda Síochána in iúl don duine go gcreideann sé mar a dúradh,

féadfaidh an comhalta ainm agus seoladh an duine a iarraidh agus cuntas ar a imeachtaí le déanaí agus, má fhaillíonn nó má dhiúltaíonn an duine an t-eolas a thabhairt nó má thugann sé eolas atá bréagach nó míthreorach, beidh sé ciontach i gcion agus ar é a chiontú go hachomair dlífear fineáil nach mó ná £200 a chur air nó, de rogha na cúirte, príosúnacht ar feadh téarma nach faide ná dhá mhí dhéag nó an fhíneáil sin agus an phríosúnacht sin i dteannta a chéile.

Fianaise ar chomhaltas d'eagraíocht neamhdhleathach.

3.—(1) (a) Aon ráiteas arna dhéanamh ag duine cúisithe ó bhéal, i scríbhinn nó ar shlí eile, nó aon iompar dá chuid, ar intuigthe as nó a bhféadfaí tát réasúnach a bhaint as go raibh sé ag am ábhartha ina chomhalta d'eagraíocht neamhdhleathach, is fianaise é in imeachtaí faoi alt 21 d'Acht 1939, go raibh sé ag an am sin ina chomhalta amhlaidh.

(b) I mír (a) den fho-alt seo folaíonn “iompar” gan séanadh a theacht ón duine cúisithe ar thuairiscí foilsithe gur chomhalta é d'eagraíocht neamhdhleathach, ach má dhéantar séanadh den sórt sin ní bheidh sé sin ann féin dochloíte.

(2) Má deir oifigeach den Gharda Síochána, nach ísle céim ná Ard-Cheannfort, agus fianaise á thabhairt aige in imeachtaí maidir le cion faoin alt sin 21, go gcreideann sé go raibh an duine cúisithe ag am ábhartha ina chomhalta d'eagraíocht neamhdhleathach, beidh an ráiteas ina fhianaise go raibh se ag an am sin ina chomhalta den sórt sin.

(3) Beidh fo-alt (2) den alt seo i bhfeidhm cibé uair agus an fad sin amháin a bheidh Cuid V d'Acht 1939 i bhfeidhm.

Ráitis, cruinnithe, etc., atá ina mbac ar chúrsa an cheartais.

4.—(1) (a) Aon ráiteas poiblí arna dhéanamh ó bhéal, i scríbhinn nó ar shlí eile, nó aon chruinniú, mórshiúl nó léirsiú a chomórfar go poiblí, agus is bac ar chúrsa an cheartais, beidh sé neamhdhleathach.

(b) Measfar ráiteas, cruinniú, mórshiúl nó léirsiú a bheith ina bhac ar chúrsa an cheartais má bheartaítear, nó más de chineál é gur dócha dó, go díreach nó go neamhdhíreach, tionchar a bheith aige ar aon chúirt, duine nó údarás lena mbaineann tionscnamh, stiúradh nó cosaint aon imeachtaí sibhialta nó coiriúla (lena n-áirítear páirtí nó finné) i dtaobh ar cheart nó conas ba cheart na himeachtaí a thionscnamh, a stiúradh, a sheoladh ar aghaidh nó a chosaint, nó i dtaobh cén toradh ba chóir a bheith orthu.

(2) Duine ar bith a dhéanfaidh aon ráiteas, nó a dhéanfaidh aon chruinniú nó mórshiúl nó léirsiú atá neamhdhleathach faoin alt seo a eagrú nó a chomóradh nó a bheidh páirteach sa chéanna, beidh sé ciontach i gcion agus dlífear—

(a) ar a chiontú go hachomair, fíneáil nach mó ná £200 a chur air nó, de rogha na cúirte, príosúnacht ar feadh téarma nach faide ná dhá mhí dhéag nó an fhíneáil sin agus an phriosúnacht sin i dteannta a chéile;

(b) ar a chiontú ar dhíotáil, fíneáil nach mó ná £1,000 a chur air nó príosúnacht ar feadh téarma nach faide ná cúig bliana nó an fhíneáil sin agus an phríosúnacht sin i dteannta a chéile.

(3) Ní dhéanfaidh aon ní san alt seo difear don dlí i dtaobh díspeagadh cúirte.

Leasú ar alt 2 d'Acht 1939.

5.—Déantar leis seo an míniú ar “scríbhinn” in alt 2 d'Acht 1939 a leasú tríd an méid seo a leanas a chur isteach i ndiaidh “fógrán”:

“agus fós—

(a) aon léarscáil, plean, graf nó líníocht,

(b) aon fhótagraf,

(c) aon cheirnín, téip, fuaimrian nó deis eile ina bhfuil fuaimeanna nó sonraí eile (nach amharc-íomhánna) sa tslí go bhféadfaí (le cabhair nó gan chabhair ó threalamh éigin eile) iad a atáirgeadh uaidh sin, agus

(d) aon scannán, miocrascannán, claonchló, téip, nó deis eile ina bhfuil amharc-íomhá amháin nó níos mó (cibé acu le fuaimeanna nó sonraí eile nó gan iad) sa tslí go bhféadfaí (mar a dúradh) é nó iad a atáirgeadh uaidh sin agus atáirgeadh nó fos-atáirgeadh ar an íomhá nó ar na híomhánna atá ann cibé acu méadaithe nó gan méadú agus cibé acu le fuaimeanna nó sonraí eile nó gan iad”.

Gearrtheideal, forléiriú agus comhlua.

6.—(1) Féadfar an tAcht um Chiontaí in aghaidh an Stáit (Leasú), 1972, a ghairm den Acht seo.

(2) Forléireofar na hAchtanna um Chiontaí in aghaidh an Stáit, 1939 agus 1940, agus an tAcht seo mar aon ní amháin agus féadfar na hAchtanna um Chiontaí in aghaidh an Stáit, 1939 go 1972, a ghairm díobh le chéile.

Number 26 of 1972

OFFENCES AGAINST THE STATE (AMENDMENT) ACT, 1972

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

Number 26 of 1972

OFFENCES AGAINST THE STATE (AMENDMENT) ACT, 1972

Definition.

1.—In this Act “the Act of 1939” means the Offences against the State Act, 1939.

Power to question person found near place of commission of scheduled offence.

2.—Where a member of the Garda Síochána—

(a) has reasonable grounds for believing that an offence which is for the time being a scheduled offence for the purposes of Part V of the Act of 1939 is being or was committed at any place,

(b) has reasonable grounds for believing that any person whom he finds at or near the place at the time of the commission of the offence or soon afterwards knows, or knew at that time, of its commission, and

(c) informs the person of his belief as aforesaid,

the member may demand of the person his name and address and an account of his recent movements and, if the person fails or refuses to give the information or gives information that is false or misleading, he shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £200 or, at the discretion of the court, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding twelve months or to both such fine and such imprisonment.

Evidence of membership of unlawful organisation.

3.—(1) (a) Any statement made orally, in writing or otherwise, or any conduct, by an accused person implying or leading to a reasonable inference that he was at a material time a member of an unlawful organisation shall, in proceedings under section 21 of the Act of 1939, be evidence that he was then such a member.

(b) In paragraph (a) of this subsection “conduct” includes omission by the accused person to deny published reports that he was a member of an unlawful organisation, but the fact of such denial shall not by itself be conclusive.

(2) Where an officer of the Garda Síochána, not below the rank of Chief Superintendent, in giving evidence in proceedings relating to an offence under the said section 21, states that he believes that the accused was at a material time a member of an unlawful organisation, the statement shall be evidence that he was then such a member.

(3) Subsection (2) of this section shall be in force whenever and for so long only as Part V of the Act of 1939 is in force.

Statements, meetings etc., constituting interference with the course of justice.

4.—(1) (a) Any public statement made orally, in writing or otherwise, or any meeting, procession or demonstration in public, that constitutes an interference with the course of justice shall be unlawful.

(b) A statement, meeting, procession or demonstration shall be deemed to constitute an interference with the course of justice if it is intended, or is of such a character as to be likely, directly or indirectly to influence any court, person or authority concerned with the institution, conduct or defence of any civil or criminal proceedings (including a party or witness) as to whether or how the proceedings should be instituted, conducted, continued or defended, or as to what should be their outcome.

(2) A person who makes any statement, or who organises, holds or takes part in any meeting, procession or demonstration, that is unlawful under this section shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable—

(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding £200 or, at the discretion of the court, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding twelve months or to both such fine and such imprisonment;

(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine not exceeding £1,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or to both such fine and such imprisonment.

(3) Nothing in this section shall affect the law as to contempt of court.

Amendment of section 2 of Act of 1939.

5.—The definition of “document” in section 2 of the Act of 1939 is hereby amended by the insertion after “advertisement” of the following:

“and also—

(a) any map, plan, graph or drawing,

(b) any photograph,

(c) any disc, tape, sound track or other device in which sounds or other data (not being visual images) are embodied so as to be capable (with or without the aid of some other equipment) of being reproduced therefrom, and

(d) any film, microfilm, negative, tape or other device in which one or more visual images are embodied (whether with or without sounds or other data) so as to be capable (as aforesaid) of being reproduced therefrom and a reproduction or still reproduction of the image or images embodied therein whether enlarged or not and whether with or without sounds or other data”.

Short title, construction and collective citation.

6.—(1) This Act may be cited as the Offences against the State (Amendment) Act, 1972.

(2) The Offences against the State Acts, 1939 and 1940, and this Act shall be construed as one and may be cited together as the Offences against the State Acts, 1939 to 1972.