Police Act 1997

124 Offences: disclosure. U.K.

(1) A member, officer or employee of a body registered under section 120 commits an offence if he discloses information provided following an application under section [F1 113A or 113B] unless he discloses it, in the course of his duties,—

(a) to another member, officer or employee of the registered body,

(b) to a member, officer or employee of a body at the request of which the registered body [F2 countersigned] [F2 acted as the registered person in relation to] the application, or

(c) to an individual at whose request the registered body [F2 countersigned] [F2 acted as the registered person in relation to] the relevant application.

(2) Where information is provided under section [F3 113A or 113B] following an application [F4 countersigned] [F4 in relation to which the person who acted as the registered person did so] at the request of a body which is not registered under section 120, a member, officer or employee of the body commits an offence if he discloses the information unless he discloses it, in the course of his duties, to another member, officer or employee of that body.

(3) Where information is provided under section [F5 113A or 113B] following an application [F6 countersigned by or at the request of an individual] [F6 in relation to which an individual acted as the registered person, or in relation to which the person who acted as the registered person did so at the request of an individual]—

(a) the individual commits an offence if he discloses the information unless he discloses it to an employee of his for the purpose of the employee’s duties, and

(b) an employee of the individual commits an offence if he discloses the information unless he discloses it, in the course of his duties, to another employee of the individual.

(4) Where information provided under section [F7 113A or 113B] is disclosed to a person and the disclosure—

(a) is an offence under this section, or

(b) would be an offence under this section but for subsection [F8 (5) or] (6)(a), (d), (e) or (f),

the person to whom the information is disclosed commits an offence (subject to [F9 subsections (5) and (6)] [F9 subsection (6)]) if he discloses it to any other person.

(5) [F10 Subsections (1) to (4) do not apply to a disclosure of information provided in accordance with section [F11 113B(5)] which is made with the written consent of the chief officer who provided the information.]

(6) Subsections (1) to (4) do not apply to a disclosure of information contained in a certificate under section [F12 113A or 113B] which is made—

(a) with the written consent of the applicant for the certificate, or

(b) to a government department, or

(c) to a person appointed to an office by virtue of any enactment, or

(d) in accordance with an obligation to provide information under or by virtue of any enactment, or

(e) for the purposes of answering an exempted question (within the meaning of section [F13 113A]) of a kind specified in regulations made by the Secretary of State, or

(f) for some other purpose specified in regulations made by the Secretary of State.

(7) A person who is guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale, or to both.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 124(1) substituted (1.4.2006 for S., 6.4.2006 for E.W., 3.12.2007 for N.I.) by Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15), s. 178(4)(e)(8), Sch. 14 para. 12(a); S.S.I. 2006/166, art. 2(1)(e); S.I. 2006/378, art. 7(c); S.I. 2007/3341, art. 2(d)

F2 Words in s. 124(1)(b)(c) substituted (E.W.) (2.3.2009) by The Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records) (Electronic Communications) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/203), arts. 1(1), 11(2)

F3 Words in s. 124(2) substituted (1.4.2006 for S., 6.4.2006 for E.W., 3.12.2007 for N.I.) by Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15), s. 178(4)(e)(8), Sch. 14 para. 12(a); S.S.I. 2006/166, art. 2(1)(e); S.I. 2006/378, art. 7(c); S.I. 2007/3341, art. 2(d)

F4 Words in s. 124(2) substituted (E.W.) (2.3.2009) by The Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records) (Electronic Communications) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/203), arts. 1(1), 11(3)

F5 Words in s. 124(3) substituted (1.4.2006 for S., 6.4.2006 for E.W., 3.12.2007 for N.I.) by Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15), s. 178(4)(e)(8), Sch. 14 para. 12(a); S.S.I. 2006/166, art. 2(1)(e); S.I. 2006/378, art. 7(c); S.I. 2007/3341, art. 2(d)

F6 Words in s. 124(3) substituted (E.W.) (2.3.2009) by The Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records) (Electronic Communications) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/203), arts. 1(1), 11(4)

F7 Words in s. 124(4) substituted (1.4.2006 for S., 6.4.2006 for E.W., 3.12.2007 for N.I.) by Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15), s. 178(4)(e)(8), Sch. 14 para. 12(a); S.S.I. 2006/166, art. 2(1)(e); S.I. 2006/378, art. 7(c); S.I. 2007/3341, art. 2(d)

F8 Words in s. 124(4)(b) repealed (E.W.) (10.9.2012 immediately after the coming into force of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2012 (S.I. 2012/2157)) by Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (c. 9), s. 120, Sch. 9 para. 115(2)(a), Sch. 10 Pt. 6 (with s. 97); S.I. 2012/2234, art. 2(aa)(cc)(x); and repealed (N.I.) (2.11.2015) by Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 (c. 9), s. 106(2), Sch. 5 para. 16(5)(a), Sch. 9 Pt. 3; S.R. 2015/358, art. 2(m)(vi)

F9 Words in s. 124(4)(b) substituted (E.W.) (10.9.2012 immediately after the coming into force of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2012 (S.I. 2012/2157)) by Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (c. 9), s. 120, Sch. 9 para. 115(2)(b) (with s. 97); S.I. 2012/2234, art. 2(aa)(x); and substituted (N.I.) (2.11.2015) by Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 (c. 9), s. 106(2), Sch. 5 para. 16(5)(b); S.R. 2015/358, art. 2(m)(vi)

F10 S. 124(5) repealed (E.W.) (10.9.2012 immediately after the coming into force of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2012 (S.I. 2012/2157)) by Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (c. 9), s. 120, Sch. 9 para. 115(3), Sch. 10 Pt. 6 (with s. 97); S.I. 2012/2234, art. 2(aa)(cc)(x)

F11 Word in s. 124(5) substituted (1.4.2006 for S., 6.4.2006 for E.W., 3.12.2007 for N.I.) by Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15), s. 178(4)(e)(8), Sch. 14 para. 12(b); S.S.I. 2006/166, art. 2(1)(e); S.I. 2006/378, art. 7(c); S.I. 2007/3341, art. 2(d)

F12 Words in s. 124(6) substituted (1.4.2006 for S., 6.4.2006 for E.W., 3.12.2007 for N.I.) by Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15), s. 178(4)(e)(8), Sch. 14 para. 12(a); S.S.I. 2006/166, art. 2(1)(e); S.I. 2006/378, art. 7(c); S.I. 2007/3341, art. 2(d)

F13 Word in s. 124(6)(e) substituted (1.4.2006 for S., 6.4.2006 for E.W., 3.12.2007 for N.I.) by Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15), s. 178(4)(e)(8), Sch. 14 para. 12(c); S.S.I. 2006/166, art. 2(1)(e); S.I. 2006/378, art. 7(c); S.I. 2007/3341, art. 2(d)

Commencement Information

I1 S. 124 in force at 1.3.2002 for E.W. by S.I. 2002/413, art. 2

S. 124 in force at 25.4.2002 for S. by S.S.I. 2002/124, art. 4

I2 S. 124 in force at 3.12.2007 for N.I. by S.I. 2007/3342, art. 2(i)