Section 140 — Offence of providing false information or documents

Extent: E+W+S+N.I.

This version in force from 2026-04-07

Snapshot: 2026-08-24

Reproduced from legislation.gov.uk (Crown Copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0). Amendments made after 2026-08-24 may not be reflected — always check the official text .

(1) A person commits an offence if—

(a) the person produces, or knowingly causes or allows to be produced, any information or document in response to a requirement reasonably made by a person in the exercise of a power conferred by this Part,

(b) the information or document is false in a material respect, and

(2) A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable—

(a) on summary conviction in England and Wales, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding the maximum term for summary offences or a fine, or both;

(b) on summary conviction in Scotland, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale, or both;

(c) on summary conviction in Northern Ireland, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale, or both.

(3) In subsection (2)(a) “the maximum term for summary offences” means—

(a) in the case of an offence committed before the time when section 281(5) of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 comes into force, 6 months;

(b) in the case of an offence committed after that time, 51 weeks.