Penal Law, 5737-1977

A person who is not a soldier or police officer and who wears military or police uniform, or clothing resembling them, or clothing bearing a marking peculiar to a soldier or police officer, in a manner and in circumstances likely to bring dishonour upon the said uniforms, or who employs another person to do any of these acts, is liable to three months' imprisonment.

A person who negligently does an act likely to spread a disease that poses a danger to life is liable to three years' imprisonment; if the person did the act wilfully, the person is liable to seven years' imprisonment.

A retailer of food or drink commodities, or a manager of a hotel, inn, restaurant or other business for the sale of food and drink for consumption on the premises, who fails to maintain the cleanliness of the commodities supplied, or who contravenes a regulation on the subject of public health, is liable to six months' imprisonment; a court convicting the offender may order the destruction of food or drink commodities that are unfit to serve as food.

A person who muddies or pollutes the water of a spring, tank or reservoir or of any other place and thereby renders it less suitable for the purpose for which it ordinarily serves, is liable to three years' imprisonment.

A person who wilfully pollutes the air and thereby renders it harmful, generally, to the health of persons residing or carrying on business in the vicinity, or of persons passing along a public road, is liable to three years' imprisonment.

A person who, for their own purposes, creates loud noise or spreads offensive or harmful odours, in a place and in circumstances that disturb persons in the exercise of public rights, is liable to one year's imprisonment.

In this Section —

"prohibited game" — a game in which a person may win money, money's worth or a benefit according to the results of the game, and the results depend on chance more than on understanding or skill;

"place of prohibited games" — premises in which prohibited games are customarily conducted, whether they are open to the public or open only to certain persons, and it is immaterial whether they are also kept for another purpose;

"lottery" — any arrangement under which it is possible, by drawing lots or by another means, to win money, money's worth or a benefit, and the winning depends on chance more than on understanding or skill;

"gambling" — any arrangement under which it is possible to win money, money's worth or a benefit, and the winning depends on guessing a matter, including a lottery connected with the results of games and sports competitions.

A person who organises or conducts a prohibited game, a lottery or gambling is liable to three years' imprisonment or double the fine referred to in section 61(a)(4).

One who plays a prohibited game is liable to one year's imprisonment or the fine set out in section 61(a)(2).

One who offers, sells or distributes tickets, or any other thing, purporting to evidence a right to participate in a lottery or in gambling, as well as one who prints or publishes a notice of a lottery or of gambling, is liable to one year's imprisonment or double the fine set out in section 61(a)(3).

One who keeps or manages a place of prohibited games, or a place for the conduct of lotteries or gambling, is liable to three years' imprisonment or double the fine set out in section 61(a)(4); one who lets premises or permits their use with knowledge that they will serve as a place for prohibited games or for the conduct of lotteries or gambling, is liable to six months' imprisonment or double the fine set out in section 61(a)(3).

The provisions of sections 225 to 228 shall not apply to a game, lottery or gambling in which all three of the following conditions are fulfilled:

In a trial for an offence in respect of a prohibited game under this Section —

For the purposes of this Section — and without derogating from any other means of proof —

Where a person has been convicted of an offence under this Section, the court may order that tools, instruments or any other thing that served for the conduct of the game, lottery or gambling be forfeited to the State Treasury, and it is immaterial whether or not the accused is the owner thereof.

In this Section, "testimony" means oral or written statements made for the purpose of evidence, excluding unsworn statements by an accused in criminal proceedings, and including opinions given for the purpose of evidence and translations by an interpreter in judicial proceedings.

One who fabricates evidence, otherwise than by way of perjury or incitement to perjury, or who knowingly uses fabricated evidence as aforesaid, all with the intention of misleading a judicial authority or a commission of inquiry in judicial proceedings, is liable to five years' imprisonment.

One who knowingly makes a false declaration, whether on oath or solemn affirmation or without an oath and without a solemn affirmation, before a person who is competent to receive the declaration, is liable to three years' imprisonment.

One who knows that a book, document or particular thing is required, or may be required, as evidence in judicial proceedings and who wilfully destroys it or renders it unreadable, undecipherable or unidentifiable, all with the intention of preventing its use as evidence, is liable to five years' imprisonment.

One who provides a police officer or a person competent to institute criminal proceedings with information about an offence knowing that the information is false is liable to three years' imprisonment, and if the offence is a felony — to five years' imprisonment; and it is immaterial whether or not criminal proceedings were instituted as a result of the information.

One who does any act with the intention of preventing or frustrating judicial proceedings or of bringing about a miscarriage of justice, whether by thwarting the summoning of a witness, by concealing evidence or by any other means, is liable to three years' imprisonment; for this purpose, "judicial proceedings" includes criminal investigation and the execution of a court order.

Sections 245(a) and 246(a) shall not apply to an act done to inform a person of that person's right under law to refrain from testifying or from giving a statement, or to an act done lawfully in the course of a trial or an investigation.

In a charge of preventing a statement or testimony or of retracting a statement or testimony under sections 245(a) or 246(a), it shall be a defence for the accused if the accused proves both of the following: that the act was done for the purpose of revealing the truth or preventing a falsehood.

One who harasses a person in connection with a statement that the person has given, or is about to give, in an investigation conducted by law, or in connection with testimony that the person has given, or is about to give, in judicial proceedings, is liable to imprisonment for three years.

Where an offence under sections 245, 246 or 249 was committed while the offender carried a firearm or cold weapon, or where two or more persons who joined together to carry out the act were present, with the act carried out by one or more of them, each of them is liable —

One who seeks to influence improperly the outcome of judicial proceedings by words of solicitation or request addressed to a judge or to an officer of the court is liable to imprisonment for one year.

One who publishes, not in good faith, by any means of publication, an inaccurate report of proceedings in a court or in a commission of inquiry under the Commissions of Inquiry Law, 5729-1968, is liable to imprisonment for six months.

One who opens, by any means of publication, a fundraising campaign for the payment of a fine, costs or compensation imposed by a court in criminal proceedings, or who gives publicity to such a campaign, is liable to imprisonment for six months.

One who does any of the following is liable to imprisonment for six months:

One who says or writes something concerning a judge or arbitrator in relation to that person's office with intent to harm that person's standing, or who publishes words of abuse against a judge or arbitrator so as to bring suspicion upon or to disparage the ways of adjudication, is liable to imprisonment for three years; however, honest and courteous criticism of the quality of a decision of a judge or arbitrator on a matter of public interest shall not constitute an offence under this section.

One who escapes from lawful custody in which that person is held by reason of a criminal offence is liable —

One who does any of the following is liable to imprisonment for seven years:

One who rescues or attempts to rescue a person from lawful custody is liable —

An accessory after the fact is liable —

One who knew that another person intended to commit a felony and who did not take all reasonable measures to prevent its commission or completion is liable to imprisonment for two years.

One who has been lawfully commanded by a public servant, a police officer or any other person to assist in preventing offences or in the arrest of a person or in preventing the rescue or escape of a person, and who refuses or refrains from rendering assistance to the best of that person's ability, is liable to imprisonment for three years.

One who receives property and removes, withholds, conceals or does any other act with it, knowing that the property has been seized or taken pursuant to a court order, with intent to obstruct or frustrate the execution of the seizure or the order, is liable to imprisonment of three years.

One who wilfully breaks, removes or renders ineffective a seal affixed pursuant to an order of an official authority, court or tribunal is liable to imprisonment of two years; and if the person was entrusted with the custody of the seal, is liable to imprisonment of three years.

One who is entrusted with the custody of a seal affixed pursuant to an order of an official authority or of a court or tribunal, and who negligently allows the seal to be broken, removed or rendered ineffective, is liable to imprisonment of six months.