Explosive Substances Act 1924

2020 REVISED EDITION

This revised edition incorporates all amendments up to and including 1 December 2021 and comes into operation on 31 December 2021

An Act relating to explosive substances.

[18 July 1924]

Short title

1. This Act is the Explosive Substances Act 1924.

Interpretation

2. In this Act, “explosive substance” shall be deemed to include —

(a)	any material for making any explosive substance; and
(b)	any apparatus, machine, implement or material used, or intended to be used, or adapted for causing, or aiding in causing, any explosion in or with any explosive substance, and any part of any such apparatus, machine or implement.

Penalty for causing explosion likely to endanger life or property

3. Any person who unlawfully and maliciously causes by any explosive substance an explosion of a nature likely to endanger life or to cause serious injury to property shall, whether or not any injury to person or property has been actually caused, be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years or to caning, or to any 2 of such punishments.

Penalty for attempt to cause explosion, or for making or keeping explosives, with intent to endanger life or property

4. Any person who unlawfully and maliciously —

(a)	does any act with intent to cause by an explosive substance, or conspires to cause by an explosive substance, an explosion of a nature likely to endanger life or to cause serious injury to property; or
(b)	makes, or has in his possession or under his control, any explosive substance with intent by means of the explosive substance to endanger life or cause serious injury to property, or to enable any other person by means of the explosive substance to endanger life or cause serious injury to property,

shall, whether any explosion does or does not take place and whether or not any injury to person or property has been actually caused, be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years or to caning, or to any 2 of such punishments.

Penalty for making or possessing explosives under suspicious circumstances

5. Any person who makes or knowingly has in his possession or under his control any explosive substance, under such circumstances as to give rise to a reasonable suspicion that he is not making it or does not have it in his possession or under his control for a lawful object, shall, unless he can show that he made it or had it in his possession or under his control for a lawful object, be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years or to caning, or to any 2 of such punishments.

Penalty for abetment

6. Any person who by the supply of or solicitation for money, the providing of premises, the supply of materials, or in any manner whatsoever, procures, counsels, aids, abets, or is accessory to, the commission of any offence under this Act shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to be punished with the punishment provided for the offence.

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