Merchant Shipping Act, 1951 (Act No. 57 of 1951)Chapter IX : Offences, Penal Provisions and Legal Procedure316. Obstructing administration of Act |
No person shall—
| (a) | damage, destroy, conceal or dispose of any vessel or goods to prevent the detention, forfeiture or seizure thereof under this Act; or |
| (b) | rescue, damage or destroy any vessel or goods detained, forfeited or seized under this Act; or |
| (c) | being the owner or master of a vessel which has been detained under this Act, or any other person under the control of either of them, cause or permit the vessel to proceed to sea without the permission of the proper officer; or |
| (d) | knowingly receive or have in his possession any vessel or goods forfeited under this Act; or |
| (e) | being the master of a vessel proceeding to sea, wrongfully take to sea any officer authorized to detain the vessel or any surveyor or other officer when on board the vessel in the execution of his duty; or |
| (f) | insult, resist, hinder or mislead any person or court upon whom any duty is imposed or any power is conferred or to whom any function is entrusted by or under this Act, in the discharge of that duty or the exercise of that power or the performance of that function, or refuse or fail to give all reasonable assistance, when called upon to do so, to any such person or court in such discharge, exercise or performance, or hinder or prevent any other person from assisting any such person or court in such discharge, exercise or performance; or |
| (g) | hinder or prevent any witness from attending in obedience to any summons issued under this Act; or |
| (h) | hinder or prevent the service of any document under this Act. |