Criminal Justice Act 2003
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| Long title | An Act to make provision about criminal justice (including the powers and duties of the police) and about dealing with offenders; to amend the law relating to jury service; to amend Chapter 1 of Part 1 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and Part 5 of the Police Act 1997; to make provision about civil proceedings brought by offenders; and for connected purposes. |
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| Citation | 2003 c.44 |
| Territorial extent | England and Wales (except as shown in sections 337–8) |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 20 November 2003 |
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Status: Amended
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| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Revised text of statute as amended | |
The Criminal Justice Act 2003 (c.44) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is a wide-ranging measure introduced to modernise many areas of the criminal justice system in England and Wales and, to a lesser extent, in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
It amends the law relating to police powers, bail, disclosure, allocation of criminal offences, prosecution appeals, autrefois acquit ("double jeopardy"), hearsay, propensity evidence, bad character evidence, sentencing and release on licence. It permits offences to be tried by a judge sitting alone without a jury in cases where there is a danger of jury-tampering. It also expands the circumstances in which defendants can be tried twice for the same offence (double jeopardy), when "new and compelling evidence" is introduced.
The Act had its genesis in several reports and consultations:
Other recommendations of the Criminal Courts Review relating to court procedures were implemented in the Courts Act 2003.
The intention of the Act was to introduce reforms in two main areas: improved case management and a reduction in scope for abuse of the system.
Police "stop and search" powers are increased to include cases of suspected criminal damage in, for example, the carrying of spray paint by aspirant graffiti artists. People who accompany constables on a search of premises may now take an active part in the search, as long as they remain accompanied at all times. This is particularly useful in cases where computer or financial evidence may need to be sifted at the scene, for which outside expertise is required.
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