Tattooing of Minors (Northern Ireland) Order 1979

N.I.

Statutory Instruments

1979 No. 926 (N.I. 10)

Tattooing of Minors (Northern Ireland) Order 1979

[26th July 1979]

Title and commencementN.I.

1.  This Order may be cited as the Tattooing of Minors (Northern Ireland) Order 1979 … Commencement

InterpretationN.I.

2.—(1) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 [1954 c.33] shall apply to Article 1 and the following provisions of this Order as it applies to a Measure of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

(2) In this Order—

“medical practitioner” means a fully registered person within the meaning of section 54(1) of the Medical Act 1956 [1956 c.76] ;

“minor” means a person under the age of 18;

“tattoo” means the insertion into the skin of any colouring material designed to leave a permanent mark.

Prohibition of tattooing of minorsN.I.

3.—(1) Subject to Article 4, any person who tattoos a minor shall be guilty of an offence.

(2) A person guilty of an offence under paragraph (1) shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding[F1 five hundred pounds]F1.

F11984 NI 3

DefencesN.I.

4.  A person shall not be guilty of an offence under Article 3—

(a)if he reasonably believes that the minor is not under the age of 18; or

(b)if, being a medical practitioner or working under the direction of a medical practitioner, he performs the tattoo for medical reasons.