Section 18: Offences and penalties

18. Offences and penalties (1) Any person who contravenes section 4 (1), 6 (1), 7 (1), 12, 13 (2), (3) or (4) or 14 (2) shall commit an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding 50,000 rupees and to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months. (2) Any person who contravenes section 15 shall commit an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding 100,000 rupees and to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years. (3) (a) Any person who treats any other person or his relative— (i) unfairly, unjustly, or less favourably than a third person would have been treated in comparable circumstances; (ii) with hatred, ridicule or contempt, on account of being, or being perceived as being, infected with HIV, shall commit an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding 50,000 rupees. (b) In paragraph (a), “relative”, in relation to a person, means his spouse, child, father, mother, brother, sister, grandparent, grandchild, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece and includes any person with whom the person concerned resides. (4) No prosecution for an offence under subsection (2) or (3) shall be instituted except by, or with the consent of, the Director of Public Prosecutions.