Law

Criminal Justice Act 1948

United Kingdom · statute

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In force since 2013-05-28, as the publisher states.

Copy read on 2026-11-09. The page it was read from

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.

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Contents: 69 provisions
  1. Title and introductory text
  2. 1 Abolition of penal servitude, hard labour and prison divisions.
  3. 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  4. 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  5. 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  6. 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  7. 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  8. 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  9. 17
  10. 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  11. 19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  12. 21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  13. 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  14. 23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  15. 24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  16. 25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  17. 27 Remand of persons aged 18 to 20.
  18. 28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  19. 29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  20. 30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  21. 31 Jurisdiction and procedure in respect of certain indictable offences committed in foreign countries.
  22. 32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  23. 34 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  24. 35 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  25. 36 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  26. 37 Bail on appeal, case stated or application for certiorari.
  27. 38
  28. 39 Proof of previous convictions by finger–prints.
  29. 40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  30. 41 Evidence by certificate.
  31. 42 Order of speeches.
  32. 43 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  33. 44 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  34. 45 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  35. 48
  36. 49 Remand homes.
  37. 50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  38. 52 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  39. 53 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  40. 60 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  41. 62 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  42. 63 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  43. 64 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  44. 65 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  45. 66 Legal custody.
  46. 67 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  47. 68 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  48. 69 Commutation of death sentence to sentence of imprisonment.
  49. 70 Amendments of Forfeiture Act, 1870.
  50. 71 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  51. 73 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  52. 74 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  53. 75 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  54. 76 Rules and orders.
  55. 77 Expenses and grants payable out of moneys provided by Parliament.
  56. 78 Transitory provisions.
  57. 79
  58. 80 Interpretation.
  59. 81 Application to Scotland.
  60. 82 †Application to Northern Ireland.
  61. 83 Short title, commencement and repeals.
  62. FIRST SCHEDULE
  63. SECOND TO FOuRTH SCHEDULES
  64. FIFTH SCHEDULE
  65. SIXth SCHEDULE
  66. SEVENTH SCHEDULE
  67. EIGHTH SCHEDULE Transitory Provisions
  68. NINTH SCHEDULE Consequential and Minor Amendments.
  69. TENTH SCHEDULE

Proposed changes to this act

No one has proposed a change to this act yet.

69 provisions

62 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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63 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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64 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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65 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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66 Legal custody.

Any person required or authorised by or under this Act to be taken to any place or to be kept in custody shall, while being so taken or kept, be deemed to be in legal custody; and a constable, while taking or keeping any such person as aforesaid, shall have all the powers, authorities, protection and privileges of a constable as well beyond his constablewick as within it.

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67 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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68 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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69 Commutation of death sentence to sentence of imprisonment.

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70 Amendments of Forfeiture Act, 1870.

(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2) Where any pension or superannuation allowance has been forfeited under section two of the Forfeiture Act 1870, the authority by whom the pension or allowance was granted may restore the pension or allowance either in whole or in part: Provided that no payment of pension or allowance in respect of any period before the commencement of this Act shall be made by virtue of this subsection.

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71 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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73 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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74 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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75 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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76 Rules and orders.

(1) Any power of the Secretary of State to make rules under this Act shall be exercised by statutory instrument. (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (3) Any power to make Orders in Council under this Act, and any power of the Secretary of State to make orders under this Act, shall include power to revoke or vary any such Order in Council or order by a subsequent Order in Council or order.

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77 Expenses and grants payable out of moneys provided by Parliament.

(1) Any expenses of the Secretary of State under this Act . . . shall, to such amount as may be sanctioned by the Treasury, be defrayed out of moneys provided by Parliament. (2)—(5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (6) There shall be paid out of moneys provided by Parliament any sums by which any grants under section one hundred and four of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 towards the expenses of councils of counties and county boroughs are increased by reason of any provisions of this Act. (7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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78 Transitory provisions.

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79

The enactments mentioned in the first column of the Ninth Schedule to this Act shall have effect subject to the amendments specified in the second column of that Schedule (being amendments consequential upon the foregoing provisions of this Act or relating to matters of minor detail).

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80 Interpretation.

(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, the following expressions have the meaning hereby respectively assigned to them, that is to say:— . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “Approved school” means a school approved under section seventy–nine of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933; ... ... “Detention centre” has the meaning assigned to it by section forty–eight of this Act; “Enactment” includes an enactment contained in a local Act and any order, regulation or other instrument having effect by virtue of an Act; “England” includes Wales; “Impose imprisonment” means pass a sentence of imprisonment or commit to prison in default of payment of any sum of money or for failing to do or abstain from doing anything required to be done or left undone; “Local authority” means, in relation to any probation area, any authority out of whose funds the salary of the clerk to the justices for a petty sessions area or place contained in the probation area is paid; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “Remand centre” has the meaning assigned to it by section forty–eight of this Act “Remand home” means premises established or used by the council of a county or county borough under the provisions of section seventy–seven of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933; “Sentence” includes an order for detention in a detention centre, . . . , but does not include a committal in default of payment of any sum of money or failing to do or abstain from doing anything required to be done or left undone; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2) Any reference in this Act to a previous sentence of imprisonment shall be construed as including a reference to a previous sentence of penal servitude; any such reference to a previous sentence of Borstal training shall be construed as including a reference to a previous sentence of detention in a Borstal institution; and any such reference to a previous conviction or sentence shall be construed as a reference to a previous conviction by a court in any part of Great Britain and to a previous sentence passed by any such court. (3) Where the age of any person at any time is material for the purposes of any provision of this Act, or of any Order in Council made thereunder, regulating the powers of a court, his age at the material time shall be deemed to be or to have been that which appears to the court after considering any available evidence to be or to have been his age at that time. (4) References in this Act to an offence punishable with imprisonment shall be construed, in relation to any offender, without regard to any prohibition or restriction imposed by or under any enactment, upon the imprisonment of offenders of his age, but shall not be construed as including an offence for which the court is required to impose a sentence of imprisonment for life. (5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (6) Where any provision of this Act empowers a court on conviction of an offender to pass a sentence or make an order in lieu of dealing with him in any other manner, the said provision shall not be construed as taking away any power of the court to order the offender to pay costs, ... or compensation. (7) References in this Act to any enactment shall, unless the context otherwise requires, be construed as references to that enactment as amended by any subsequent enactment including this Act.

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81 Application to Scotland.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . this Act shall not extend to Scotland.

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82 †Application to Northern Ireland.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . this Act shall not extend to Northern Ireland.

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83 Short title, commencement and repeals.

(1) This Act may be cited as the Criminal Justice Act 1948. (2), (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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FIRST SCHEDULE

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SECOND TO FOuRTH SCHEDULES

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FIFTH SCHEDULE

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SIXth SCHEDULE

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SEVENTH SCHEDULE

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NINTH SCHEDULE Consequential and Minor Amendments.

Section 79. Act to be amended | Amendment . . . | . . . . . . | . . . . . . | . . . . . . | . . . . . . | . . . . . . | . . . . . . | . . . . . . | . . . . . . | . . . . . . | . . . . . . | . . . . . . | . . . . . . | . . . . . . | . . . . . . | . . . The Protection of Animals Act, 1911. 1 & 2 Geo. 5. c. 27. | In section fourteen, in subsection (2), for the words from “direct that the recognizance” to “undertaking” there shall be substituted the words “order him” and at the end the subsection there shall be added the words “and a person who fails to comply with an order under this section without satisfactory excuse shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding five pounds”. . . . | . . . The Criminal Justice Administration Act, 1914. 4 & 5 Geo. 5. c. 58. | Section fifteen shall cease to have effect. . . . | . . . . . . | . . . . . . | . . . The Children and Young Persons Act, 1933. 23 & 24 Geo. 5. c. 12. | In section forty–eight, for subsection (2) there shall be substituted the following subsection— “(2) The attainment of the age of seventeen years by a probationer, or a person in whose case an order for conditional discharge has been made, shall not deprive a juvenile court of jurisdiction to enforce his attendance and deal with him in respect of any failure to comply with the requirements of the probation order or the commission of a further offence or to amend or discharge the probation order”. and in subsection (3) the words from “and where” to the end shall cease to have effect. The Children and Young Persons Act, 1933. 23 & 24 Geo. 5. c. 12. | In section fifty–nine after the word “enactment” there shall be inserted the words “whether passed before or after the commencement of this Act”. . . . | . . . . . . | . . . . . . | . . . . . . | . . . . . . | . . . . . . | . . . . . . | . . .

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TENTH SCHEDULE

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