The Cultural Property (Armed Conflicts) Bill will have report stage and third reading on Monday 20 February 2017. A number of amendments have been tabled. These include replacing “having reason to suspect” with “believing” in clause 17 which sets out the offence of dealing in unlawfully exported cultural property.
This amendment is intended to address the art market’s concerns over over liability for this offence. A similar amendment was tabled in the Lords but was not accepted by the Government which considers that the concerns are answerable by dealers exercising due diligence in respect of antiquities they may receive. Para 62 of the Bill’s explanatory notes makes clear that a dealer does not commit an offence under this clause if, for example, they take temporary possession of a cultural object to enable them to carry out due diligence, or provide a valuation.
Read our previous submission to committee on the Bill.