After section 7 insert:
7A—Person not liable for conduct purportedly authorised
(1) To avoid doubt, a
person is not criminally responsible for an offence against this Act in
respect of particular conduct if—
(a) the
conduct by the person is purportedly authorised by a provision of a licence;
and
(b) the
licence or the provision is invalid, whether because of a technical defect or
irregularity or for any other reason; and
(c) the
person did not know, and could not reasonably be expected to have known, of
the invalidity of the licence or the provision.
(2) In this
section—
"licence" includes a purported licence.