s 24 Codes of conduct
24.—(1) The Minister may —(a) issue one or more codes of conduct; (b) approve as a code of conduct any document prepared by a person other than the Authority if the Minister considers the document as suitable for this purpose; or (c) amend or revoke any code of conduct issued under paragraph (a) or approved under paragraph (b), to provide practical guidance or certainty in respect of any one or more of the requirements of this Act or any duty or other requirement prescribed under this Act with respect to the use of public paths. (2) In particular, a code of conduct may —(a) set out benchmarks of good practice and conduct in relation to the use of public paths; and (b) describe the markings for different types of public paths. (3) However, a code of conduct cannot —(a) impose a duty on any person; (b) direct how any matter or thing is to be done; (c) create an enforceable legal right; or (d) impose any liability or penalty. (4) If any provision in any code of conduct is inconsistent with any provision of this Act, that provision in the code, to the extent of the inconsistency —(a) is to have effect subject to the provisions of this Act; and (b) having regard to the provisions of this Act, is not to have effect. (5) Where a code of conduct is issued, approved, amended or revoked by the Minister under subsection (1), the Minister must —(a) give notice of the issue, approval, amendment or revocation (as the case may be) of the code of conduct by notice in the Gazette; (b) specify in the notice mentioned in paragraph (a) the date of issue, approval, amendment or revocation, as the case may be; and (c) ensure that, so long as the code of conduct remains in force, copies of that code of conduct, and of all amendments to that code of conduct, are available for inspection, free of charge, by the general public. (6) No code of conduct, no amendment to a code of conduct, and no revocation of any such code of conduct, has any force or effect as a code of conduct until the notice relating thereto is published in accordance with subsection (5). (7) A code of conduct issued or approved under this section does not have legislative effect.