Road Traffic Act, 1961
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Production of test certificate on demand. |
19.—(1) (a) Where a member of the Garda Síochána has reasonable grounds for believing that a mechanically propelled vehicle to which section 18 of this Act applies has been used in a public place on a particular occasion (including a case in which the member has himself observed the use) and that the actual user of the vehicle on that occasion was a particular person, the member may, at any time not later than one month after the occasion, demand of the person the production of a test certificate in respect of the vehicle in force on the occasion and, if the person refuses or fails to produce any such certificate then and there, he shall, unless within ten days after the day on which the production was demanded he produces such certificate in person to a member of the Garda Síochána at a Garda Síochána station named by the person at the time at which the production was demanded, be guilty of an offence. | |
(b) In a prosecution for an offence under this subsection, it shall be presumed, until the contrary is shown by the defendant, that he did not, within ten days after the day on which the production was demanded produce the certificate in person to a member of the Garda Síochána at a Garda Síochána station named by the defendant at the time at which the production was demanded. | ||
(c) It shall be a good defence in a prosecution for an offence under this subsection if the defendant shows that on the occasion in question— | ||
(i) he did not use the vehicle, or | ||
(ii) he was the servant of the owner of the vehicle and was using the vehicle in obedience to the express orders of the owner. | ||
(2) (a) Where a member of the Garda Síochána has reasonable grounds for believing that a mechanically propelled vehicle to which section 18 of this Act applies has been used in a public place on a particular occasion (including a case in which the member has himself observed the use), the member may, at any time not later than one month after the occasion, demand of the owner of the vehicle the production of a test certificate in respect of the vehicle in force on the occasion and, if the owner refuses or fails to produce any such certificate then and there, he shall, unless within ten days after the day on which the production was demanded he produces such certificate in person to a member of the Garda Síochána at a Garda Síochána station named by the owner at the time at which such production was demanded, be guilty of an offence. | ||
(b) In a prosecution for an offence under this subsection, it shall be presumed, until the contrary is shown by the defendant, that he did not, within ten days after the day on which production was demanded, produce the certificate in person to a member of the Garda Síochána at a Garda Síochána station named by the defendant at the time at which the production was demanded. | ||
(c) It shall be a good defence in a prosecution for an offence under this subsection if the defendant shows— | ||
(i) that the vehicle was not used on the occasion in question, or | ||
(ii) that a person other than himself used the vehicle on the occasion in question, that it was so used without his consent and either that he had taken all reasonable precautions to prevent its being so used or that the person so using it was his servant acting in contravention of his orders. | ||
(3) Where a person produces pursuant to this section a certificate to a member of the Garda Síochána but refuses or fails to permit the member to read and examine it, he shall be guilty of an offence and the member may demand of him his name and address. | ||
(4) Where a person whose name and address is demanded under subsection (3) of this section refuses or fails to give his name and address or gives a name or address which is false or misleading, he shall be guilty of an offence. | ||
(5) A member of the Garda Síochána may arrest without warrant— | ||
(a) a person who pursuant to this section produces a certificate but refuses or fails to permit the member to read and examine it, or | ||
(b) a person who, when his name and address is demanded of him by the member under this section, refuses or fails to give his name and address or gives a name or address which the member has reasonable grounds for believing to be false or misleading. |