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Crime (Sentences) Act 1997 in Northern Ireland

1997 c. 43 · Enacted 21 March 1997 · Extends to United Kingdom

Not fully up to date. 28 changes made by later legislation have not yet been written into this text, which is revised to 1 June 2026.

See the changes not yet applied
ProvisionChangeMade by
s. 8(5)—Criminal Justice and Courts Services Act 2000 Sch. 7 para. 143
s. 11(6)—Criminal Justice and Courts Services Act 2000 Sch. 7 para. 143
s. 28—Criminal Justice and Courts Services Act 2000 Sch. 7 para. 136(a)(b)
s. 28—Criminal Justice and Courts Services Act 2000 Sch. 8
s. 28(1B)—Criminal Justice and Courts Services Act 2000 Sch. 7 para. 147
s. 31(2A)(a)—Criminal Justice and Courts Services Act 2000 Sch. 7 para. 4(a)(b) (2)
s. 33(1) (2)—Criminal Justice and Courts Services Act 2000 Sch. 7 para. 137(a)
s. 33(5)—Criminal Justice and Courts Services Act 2000 Sch. 7 para. 137(b)
s. 34—Criminal Justice and Courts Services Act 2000 Sch. 8
s. 34(1)—Criminal Justice and Courts Services Act 2000 Sch. 7 para. 138
s. 35(1)(b)—Criminal Justice and Courts Services Act 2000 Sch. 7 para. 139(a)
s. 35(5)(c)s. 35(8)(a)—Criminal Justice and Courts Services Act 2000 Sch. 7 para. 139(b)
s. 40(1)(b)—Criminal Justice and Courts Services Act 2000 Sch. 7 para. 140
s. 54(1)—Criminal Justice and Courts Services Act 2000 Sch. 7 para. 141
s. 57(8)—Criminal Justice and Courts Services Act 2000 Sch. 7 para. 142
Sch. 5 para. 5—Criminal Justice and Courts Services Act 2000 Sch. 8
Sch. 5 para. 5(1)—Criminal Justice and Courts Services Act 2000 Sch. 7 para. 144
s. 55(2)repealedArmed Forces Act 2001 Sch. 7 Pt. 2
Sch. 4 para. 1(1)(4)repealedArmed Forces Act 2001 Sch. 7 Pt. 2
Sch. 4 para. 2(1)(4)repealedArmed Forces Act 2001 Sch. 7 Pt. 2
Sch. 4 para. 3(1)(4)repealedArmed Forces Act 2001 Sch. 7 Pt. 2
s. 40repealedCriminal Justice Act 2003 s. 303(b)(iii) Sch. 37 Pt. 7
s. 35repealedCriminal Justice Act 2003 s. 303(b)(iii) Sch. 37 Pt. 7
s. 28(7)(c)words substitutedCriminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 s. 11(1)
s. 32ZZA(3A)insertedVictims and Prisoners Act 2024 s. 58(5)
s. 34AinsertedVictims and Prisoners Act 2024 s. 69
s. 32ZAC(1)power to amend or apply conferred by 2012 c.10, s. 128(3A) (as inserted)Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 s. 60(3)
s. 32ZAB(1)(fa)insertedCrime and Policing Act 2026 Sch. 11 para. 8

An Act to make further provision with respect to the treatment of offenders; and for connected purposes.

[21st March 1997]

Be it enacted by the Queen’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:—

Contents

  1. 7Offences under service law.
  2. Chapter I: Determinate sentences
  3. Early release
  4. Additional days
  5. Supervision after release
  6. Supplemental
  7. Sentence of detention during Her Majesty’s pleasure: review of minimum term
  8. 27ASentence of detention during Her Majesty’s pleasure imposed on a person under 18: application for minimum term review
  9. 27BPower of High Court to reduce minimum term
  10. Release on licence
  11. 28ZAPublic protection decisions
  12. 28AMurder or manslaughter: prisoner's non-disclosure of information
  13. 28BIndecent images: prisoner's non-disclosure of information
  14. 30Power to release life prisoners on compassionate grounds.
  15. 32ZZAImprisonment or detention for public protection: powers in relation to release of recalled prisoners
  16. Referral of release decisions to High Court
  17. 32ZAAReferral of release decisions to High Court
  18. 32ZABSpecified offences
  19. 32ZACPowers of the High Court
  20. Release at the direction of Parole Board
  21. 32ZBRelease at direction of Parole Board: timing
  22. 32ARemoval of prisoners liable to removal from United Kingdom
  23. 32BRe-entry into United Kingdom of offender removed from prison
  24. Miscellaneous and supplemental
  25. 33ALife prisoners also serving fixed-term sentence
  26. Part III: Miscellaneous and supplemental
  27. Transfer and repatriation of prisoners
  28. 41Transfer of prisoners within the British Islands.
  29. 42Repatriation of prisoners to the British Islands.
  30. 45Publication of reports.
  31. Mentally disordered offenders
  32. 48Offenders conditionally discharged from hospital.
  33. Supplemental
  34. 56Transitional provisions, savings and repeals.
  35. Schedule 1: Transfer of prisoners within the British Islands
  36. Part I: Powers of transfer
  37. Transfer of prisoners: general
  38. 1Paragraph 1
  39. Transfer of prisoners for trial
  40. 2Paragraph 2
  41. Transfer of prisoners for other judicial purposes
  42. 3Paragraph 3
  43. Transfer of supervision of released prisoners
  44. 4Paragraph 4
  45. Conditions of transfers
  46. 5Paragraph 5
  47. Conditions of transfer under paragraph 1(2A)
  48. 5AParagraph 5A
  49. Part II: Effect of transfers
  50. Preliminary
  51. 6Paragraph 6
  52. Restricted transfers: general
  53. 7Paragraph 7
  54. Restricted transfers from England and Wales to Scotland
  55. 8Paragraph 8
  56. ...
  57. 8AParagraph 8A Repealed
  58. Restricted transfers from England and Wales to Northern Ireland
  59. 9Paragraph 9
  60. Restricted transfers from Scotland to England and Wales
  61. 10Paragraph 10
  62. Restricted transfers from Scotland to Northern Ireland
  63. 11Paragraph 11
  64. Restricted transfers from Northern Ireland to England and Wales
  65. 12Paragraph 12
  66. Restricted transfers from Northern Ireland to Scotland
  67. 13Paragraph 13
  68. Restricted transfers between the United Kingdom and the Channel Islands
  69. 14Paragraph 14
  70. Unrestricted transfers: general
  71. 15Paragraph 15
  72. Transfers ceasing to be restricted
  73. 16Paragraph 16
  74. Part III: Supplemental
  75. Prisoners unlawfully at large
  76. 17Paragraph 17
  77. Subsequent sentence in case of transferred prisoners
  78. 18Paragraph 18
  79. Application to the Isle of Man
  80. 19Paragraph 19
  81. Service of process issued in Scotland
  82. 19AParagraph 19A
  83. ...
  84. 19BParagraph 19B Repealed
  85. Interpretation
  86. 20Paragraph 20
  87. Schedule 2: Repatriation of prisoners to the British Islands
  88. Preliminary
  89. 1Paragraph 1
  90. 6Paragraph 6
  91. Prisoners repatriated to Northern Ireland
  92. 9Paragraph 9 Repealed
  93. 10Paragraph 10 Repealed
  94. 11Paragraph 11
  95. Schedule 3: Transfers within the British Islands of responsibility for offenders conditionally discharged from hospital
  96. Part I: Amendments of the 1983 Act
  97. 1Paragraph 1
  98. Transfers from England and Wales to Northern Ireland
  99. 2Paragraph 2
  100. Transfers from Northern Ireland to England and Wales
  101. 3Paragraph 3
  102. 4Paragraph 4
  103. 5Paragraph 5
  104. Part II: Amendments of the 1984 Act
  105. 6Paragraph 6 Repealed
  106. Transfers from Scotland to Northern Ireland
  107. 7Paragraph 7 Repealed
  108. Transfers from Northern Ireland to Scotland
  109. 8Paragraph 8 Repealed
  110. 9Paragraph 9 Repealed
  111. 10Paragraph 10 Repealed
  112. Schedule 4: Minor and consequential amendments
  113. Army Act 1955 (c.18)
  114. 1Paragraph 1
  115. Air Force Act 1955 (c.19)
  116. 2Paragraph 2
  117. Naval Discipline Act 1957 (c.53)
  118. 3Paragraph 3
  119. 16Paragraph 16
  120. Schedule 5: Transitional provisions and savings
  121. Transfers of prisoners from England and Wales to Northern Ireland
  122. 10Paragraph 10
  123. Transfers of prisoners from Scotland to Northern Ireland
  124. 12Paragraph 12
  125. 13Paragraph 13
  126. Schedule 6Repeals