Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996

Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996
Text of statute as originally enacted
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	_{An Act to make provision about criminal procedure and criminal investigations.}
Citation	25
Text of the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from the UK Statute Law Database
Revised text of statute as amended

The Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 is a piece of statutory legislation in the United Kingdom that regulates the procedures of investigating and prosecution of criminal offences.

Provisions

Part I: Disclosure

Following a section of introductory text, the act outlines the relevance of its content in the first section to persons charged with a summary offence, indictable offence or one that is triable either way, as well as the criminal investigation into such an offence and as to whether such a person should be charged with the offence or found guilty of it once charged.^[1] It details the procedures for disclosure and continued disclosure by the prosecution to the defence any information "which is in the prosecutor’s possession, and came into his possession in connection with the case for the prosecution against the accused."^[1] It also defines a defence statement, defence witnesses and the means by which they should be interviewed, and confidentiality of disclosed information, and other statutory and common law rules of a court.^[1]

Part II: Criminal Investigations

The second part of the act defines a criminal investigation as "an investigation conducted by police officers with a view to it being ascertained whether a person should be charged with an offence, or whether a person charged with an offence is guilty of it." It outlines the codes of practice for any investigation set out by the Secretary of State and the means by which such a code could be revised.^[2]

Part VII: Miscellaneous and General (chapter 54 to 81)

Section 54

Section 54 of the act includes the follow administration of justice offences:

The offence of perverting the course of justice
The offence under section 51(1) of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
An offence of aiding, abetting, counselling, procuring, suborning or inciting another person to commit an offence under section 1 of the Perjury Act 1911.^[3]

Cases

Environmental protesters charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated trespass

In 2009, twenty six environmental protesters were pre-emptively arrested and later charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated trespass. It was claimed that Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station was the intended target. In 2011, their cases were quashed when it was revealed police withheld recordings made by undercover police officer Mark Kennedy. Non disclosure to the Crown Prosecution Service and defence teams is a breech of the act.^[4]^[5]

References

1 2 3 "Part I: Disclosure". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
↑ "Part II: Criminal Investigations". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
↑ section 54(6)
↑ GRAHAM, CAROLINE. "'I'm the victim of smears': Undercover policeman denies bedding a string of women during his eight years with eco-warriors". Daily Mail. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
↑ "Power station activists win appeal over missing police spy's tapes". The Guardian. 19 July 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2011.

United Kingdom legislation

Pre-Parliamentary legislation	List of English statutes Charter of Liberties Magna Carta

Acts of Parliament by states preceding the Kingdom of Great Britain	Acts of the Parliament of England to 1483 1485–1601 1603–1641 Interregnum (1642–1660) 1660–1699 1700–1706 Acts of the Parliament of Scotland Acts of the Parliament of Ireland to 1700 1701–1800

Acts of Parliament of the Kingdom of Great Britain	1707–1719 1720–1739 1740–1759 1760–1779 1780–1800

Acts of Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland	1801–1819 1820–1839 1840–1859 1860–1879 1880–1899 1900–1919 1920–1939 1940–1959 1960–1979 1980–1999 2000 to date Halsbury's Statutes UK Statute Law Database Short titles

Church of England measures	List Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919

Legislation of devolved institutions	Acts of the Scottish Parliament Acts and Measures of the National Assembly for Wales Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly Acts of the Parliament of Northern Ireland Orders in Council for Northern Ireland

Orders-in-Council	Order in Council

Secondary legislation	United Kingdom Statutory Instruments Scottish Statutory Instruments Act of Sederunt, Act of Adjournal

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