Last amended by Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 in 2012. Made significant changes to the sentencing provisions, abolishing indeterminate sentences for public protection (IPP) for new offences.
Independent editorial summary — not the official statute text. Read the official version on legislation.gov.uk.
Summary
The Criminal Justice Act 2003 is a major piece of criminal justice legislation covering evidence, sentencing, and procedure. It reformed the rules on hearsay evidence, bad character evidence, and double jeopardy. It introduced the suspended sentence order, community orders, and reformed the sentencing framework including dangerous offender provisions. It also permitted retrial for serious offences where new and compelling evidence emerges after acquittal.
Key Points
- Hearsay evidence admissible in wider circumstances (Part 11, Chapter 2)
- Bad character evidence admissible through 'gateways' (ss.98–113)
- Retrial after acquittal permitted for qualifying offences with new compelling evidence (Part 10)
- Community orders with requirements (s.177)
- Suspended sentence orders (s.189)
- Dangerous offender provisions: indeterminate sentences and extended sentences (Chapter 5)
- Purposes of sentencing: punishment, reduction of crime, reform, public protection, reparation (s.142)
Parts & Sections
Amendments History
2012 — Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012
Made significant changes to the sentencing provisions, abolishing indeterminate sentences for public protection (IPP) for new offences.