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Punishment of Incest Act 1908

As Enacted Cited authorities 3 Cited in Amendments 11 Related
JurisdictionUK Non-devolved
Citation1908 c. 45
Year1908


Punishment of Incest Act, 1908

(8 Edw. 7.) CHAPTER 45.

An Act to provide for the punishment of Incest.

[21st December 1908]

Be it enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

S-1 Incest by males.

1 Incest by males.

(1) Any male person who has carnal knowledge of a female person, who is to his knowledge his grand-daughter, daughter, sister, or mother, shall be guilty of a misdemeanour, and upon conviction thereof shall, be liable, at the discretion of the court, to be kept in penal servitude for any term not less than three years, and not exceeding seven years, or to be imprisoned for any time not exceeding two years with or without hard labour: Provided that if, on an indictment for any such offence, it is alleged in the indictment and proved that the female person is under the age of thirteen years, the same punishment may be imposed as may be imposed under section four of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1885 (which deals with the defilement of girls under thirteen years of age).

(2) It is immaterial that the carnal knowledge was had with the consent of the female person.

(3) If any male person attempts to commit any such offence as aforesaid, he shall be guilty of a misdemeanour, and upon conviction thereof shall be liable at the discretion of the court to be imprisoned for any time not exceeding two years with or without hard labour.

(4) On the conviction before any court of any male person of an offence under this section, or of an attempt to commit the same, against any female under twenty-one years of age, it shall be in the power of the court to divest the offender of all authority over such female, and, if the offender is the guardian of such female, to remove the offender from such guardianship, and in any such case to appoint any person or persons to be the guardian or guardians of such female during her minority or any less period:

Provided that the High Court may at any time vary or rescind the order by the appointment of any other person as such guardian, or in any other respect.

S-2 Incest by females of or over sixteen.

2 Incest by females of or over sixteen.

2. Any...

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