53. Liability of employers for acts of employees

Any act done or conduct engaged in by a person in the course of his or her employment (called in this section the employee) is treated for the purposes of this Act as done or engaged in by his or her employer as well as by the employee, whether or not it was done or engaged in with the employer’s knowledge or approval.

In any proceedings for an offence under this Act brought against any person in respect of an act or conduct alleged to have been done or engaged in (as the case may be) by an employee of that person, it is a defence for that person to prove that the person took such steps as were practicable to prevent the employee from doing the act or engaging in the conduct, or from doing or engaging in, in the course of his or her employment, acts or conduct (as the case may be) of that description.