The Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 (Specified Proceedings) (Amendment No. 3) Order 2012
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
2012 No. 2681
Criminal Law, England And Wales
The Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 (Specified Proceedings) (Amendment No. 3) Order 2012
Made 25th October 2012
Laid before Parliament 26th October 2012
Coming into force 19th November 2012
The Attorney General makes the following Order in exercise of the powers conferred by section 3(3) of the Prosecution of Offences Act 19851.
Citation and commencement
1. This Order may be cited as the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 (Specified Proceedings) (Amendment No. 3) Order 2012 and comes into force on 19th November 2012.
Amendment of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 (Specified Proceedings) Order 1999
2. The Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 (Specified Proceedings) Order 19992is amended as follows.
3. In article 3—
(a) in paragraph (1), for “paragraphs (2) and (3) below” substitute “the following paragraphs of this article”;
(b) after paragraph (1) insert—
“1A Proceedings for an offence mentioned in the Schedule to this Order are not specified if they are instituted by way of charge under section 37(7)(d) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 19843.
1B Proceedings for an offence mentioned in the Schedule to this Order are not specified if, at the time when a summons or requisition is issued in respect of the offence, the accused is under the age of 16.”;
(c) in paragraph (2)—
(i) after “summons” (in each place) insert “or requisition”,
(ii) after “an offence mentioned in” insert “Part 1 of”;
(d) after paragraph (2) insert—
“2A Where a summons or requisition has been issued in respect of an offence mentioned in Part 2 of the Schedule to this Order, proceedings for that offence cease to be specified when the summons or requisition is served on the accused unless—
(a) a concise statement of such facts relating to the charge as will be placed before the court by or on behalf of the prosecutor if the accused pleads guilty; or
(b) a copy of such written statement or statements complying with subsections (2)(a) and (b) and (3) of section 9 of the Criminal Justice Act 1967 as will be so placed in those circumstances,
is served upon the accused with the summons or requisition.”;
(e) after paragraph (3) insert—
“4 Proceedings for an offence mentioned in the Schedule to this Order cease to be specified if at any time a magistrates’ court indicates that it is considering imposing a custodial sentence for the offence.”.
4. Before paragraph 1 of the Schedule insert—
“Summary Offences”.
5. For paragraph 3 of the Schedule substitute—
“3. The offences under sections 3, 17(2), 18(3), 24(3), 26(1) and (2), 29, 31(1), 35, 42(b), 47(1), 87(2), 143, 163, 164(6) and (9), 165(3) and (6), 168, 170 and 172(3) of the Road Traffic Act 19884.”;
6. After paragraph 5 of the Schedule, insert—
“6. The offence under section 12 of the Licensing Act 18725.
7. The offence under section 80 of the Explosives Act 18756.
8. The offences under sections 55 and 56 of the British Transport Commission Act 19497.
9. The offence under section 91 of the Criminal Justice Act 19678.
10. The offence under section 63B(8) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 19849.
11. The offence under section 5 of the Public Order Act 198610.
12. The offence under section 87(1) of the Environmental Protection Act 199011.
13. The offence under section 12 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 200112.
14. The offence under section 11 of the Fireworks Act 200313.
15. The offence under section 49 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 200414.
16. The offences under section 12(3) and 14(3) of the Drugs Act 200515.
PART 2
Offences Triable Either Way
17. The offence under section 1(1) of the Criminal Damage Act 197116, but only if it is the prosecutor’s case that—
(a) the offence was not committed by destroying or damaging property by fire; and
(b) the value involved, within the meaning of Schedule 2 to the Magistrates’ Courts Act 198017, does not exceed £5,000.”.
Dominic Grieve
Attorney General
25th October 2012
EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Order)
Section 3 of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 sets out the functions of the Director of Public Prosecutions. These include taking over the conduct of all criminal proceedings instituted on behalf of a police force, unless the proceedings are specified in an Order made by the Attorney General under section 3(3). The Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 (Specified Proceedings) Order 1999 (“the 1999 Order”) specifies proceedings for certain offences, but provides that proceedings cease to be specified if at any time a magistrates’ court begins to receive evidence in the proceedings, other than evidence received where the court proceeds in the absence of the accused, or received for the purposes of the court’s consideration of whether an accused who has been convicted of repeated motoring offences should be spared obligatory disqualification under the “totting up” provisions.
Articles 5 and 6 of this Order amend the 1999 Order by adding further offences, proceedings for which will be specified proceedings.
The further offences added by this Order are: careless or inconsiderate driving; failing to comply with a traffic direction; failing to stop, report an accident or give information or documents; being drunk in a highway, other public place or licensed premises; throwing fireworks in a thoroughfare; trespassing or throwing stones on the railway; disorderly behaviour while drunk in a public place; behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress; depositing and leaving litter; consumption of alcohol in a...
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