{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/child-abduction-act-1984/section-4",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/child-abduction-act-1984/section-4.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1984/37",
  "legislation_title": "Child Abduction Act 1984",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/child-abduction-act-1984",
  "path": "section/4",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "4",
  "heading": "Penalties and prosecutions.",
  "text": "(1) A person guilty of an offence under this Part of this Act shall be liable—\n(a) on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, . . . or to both such imprisonment and fine;\n(b) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years.\n(2) No prosecution for an offence under section 1 above shall be instituted except by or with the consent of the Director of Public Prosecutions.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 4(1)(a) repealed (5.11.1993) by 1993 c. 50, s. 1(1), Sch. 1 Pt.XIV"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/37/section/4",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:02:06.977456+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}