Section 49 — Offences relating to register

(1)A person who, without lawful authority —

(a)makes, alters or deletes, or permits to be made, altered or deleted, any record (or any part of it) in a register;

(b)obtains, or provides any person, access to a register (or any part of it); or

(c)interferes with a register (or any part of it), or permits a register (or any part of it) to be interfered with, in any other way, shall be guilty of an offence.

(2)A person who wilfully destroys or defaces, or permits to be destroyed or defaced, a register (or any part of it) shall be guilty of an offence.

(3)A public officer or registration officer who publishes or communicates to any person any information contained in a register shall be guilty of an offence unless such publication or communication —

(a)is authorised by or under this Act;

(b)is in the public interest and authorised by the Registrar‑General; or

(c)is for the purpose of investigations into an offence under this Act or any other written law, or proceedings in respect of the offence.

(4)A person who is guilty of an offence under subsection (1), (2) or (3) shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years or to both.