OpenLegislation

Criminal Justice Act 1925

15 & 16 Geo. 5 c. 86 · Enacted 22 December 1925 · Extends to England and Wales

Not fully up to date. 3 changes made by later legislation have not yet been written into this text, which is revised to 29 June 2026.

See the changes not yet applied
ProvisionChangeMade by
s. 33appliedProhibition of Greyhound Racing (Wales) Act 2026 Sch. 1 para. 2(4)
s. 33appliedAntarctic Act 2013 s. 11(4)(b)(i)
s. 33appliedGlobal Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Sanctions 2026 reg. 45(3)(b)(i)

An Act to amend the law with respect to the administration of criminal justice in England, and otherwise to amend the criminal law.

[22nd December 1925]I1F1

Annotations to the whole text

Textual amendments

F1

Act repealed as it extends to the Isle of Man (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), Sch. 1 Pt. 17 Group 11(5)

Commencement

I1

Act partly in force at 1.1.1926 and wholly in force at 1.7.1926 by s. 49(5) (now repealed)

Contents

  1. Part I
  2. 1—10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  3. Part II: Jurisdiction and Procedure
  4. Indictable Offences generally
  5. 11Section 11
  6. 12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  7. 13Section 13
  8. 14. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  9. 15. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  10. 16. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  11. 17. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  12. 18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  13. 19. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  14. 20. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  15. 21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  16. 22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  17. 23. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  18. Summary Jurisdiction
  19. 24. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  20. 25. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  21. 26, 27. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  22. 28Summary proceedings for offence under s. 3, and amendments of ss. 3 and 4, of Perjury Act, 1911.
  23. 29. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  24. 30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  25. 31. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  26. Miscellaneous
  27. 32. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  28. 33Procedure on charge of offence against corporation.
  29. 34. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  30. Part III: Amendments as to Offences
  31. 35. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  32. 36Forgery of passport.
  33. 37Unlawful possession of pension documents.
  34. 38. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  35. 39. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  36. 40. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  37. 41Prohibition on taking photographs, &c., in court.
  38. 42. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  39. 43. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  40. Part IV: Miscellaneous and General
  41. 44, 45. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  42. 46. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  43. 47Abolition of presumption of coercion of married woman by husband. Repealed
  44. 48. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  45. 49Short title, interpretation, extent, repeal and commencement.
  46. Schedule 1Schedule 1
  47. Schedule 2Schedule 2
  48. Schedule 3Schedule 3

1—10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

11

1), (2)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F1

F2(3)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

13

1), (2)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F1

F2C1(3)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F3

(5)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F4

14. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

15. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

16. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

17. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

19. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

20. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

23. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

24. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

25. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

26, 27. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

28Summary proceedings for offence under s. 3, and amendments of ss. 3 and 4, of Perjury Act, 1911.

C1(1)

Section three of the Perjury Act, 1911 (which relates to false statements as to marriages) shall have effect as though at the end of subsection (1) thereof there were inserted the words “and on summary conviction thereof shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding fifty pounds”.

(2)

A person convicted summarily of an offence under section four of thePerjury Act, 1911 (which relates to false statements as to births or deaths), shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding fifty pounds.

(3)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F1

29. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

31. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

32. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

33Procedure on charge of offence against corporation.C1C2C3C4C5C6C7C8C9C10C11C12C13C14C15C16C17C18C19C20C21C22C23C24C25C26C27C28C29C30C31C32C33C34C35C36C37C38C39C40C41C42C43C44C45C46C47C48C49C50C51C52C53C54C55C56C57C58C59C60C61C62C63C64C65C66C67C68C69C70C71C72C73C74C75C76C77C78C79C80C81C82C83C84C85C86C87C88C89C90C91C92C93C94C95C96C97C98C99C100C101C102C103C104C105C106C107C108C109C110C111C112C113C114C115C116C117C118C119C120C121C122C123C124C125C126C127C128C129C130C131C132C133C134C135C136C137C138C139C140C141C142C143C144C145C146C147C148C149C150C151C152C153C154

F11), (2)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(3)

F2On arraignment of a corporation, the corporation may, enter in writing by its representative a plea of guilty or not guilty, and if either the corporation does not appear by a representative or, though it does so appear, fails to enter as aforesaid any plea, the court shall order a plea of not guilty to be entered and the trial shall proceed as though the corporation had duly entered a plea of not guilty.

(4)

Provision may be made by rules under the M1Indictments Act 1915 with respect to the service on any corporation charged with an indictable offence of any documents requiring to be served in connection with the proceedings F3....

(5)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(6)

In this section the expression “representative” in relation to a corporation means a person duly appointed by the corporation to represent it for the purpose of doing any act or thing which the representative of a corporation is by this section authorized to do, but a person so appointed shall not, by virtue only of being so appointed, be qualified to act on behalf of the corporation before any court for any other purpose.

A representative for the purposes of this section need not be appointed under the seal of the corporation, and a statement in writing purporting to be signed by a managing director of the corporation, or by any person (by whatever name called) having, or being one of the persons having, the management of the affairs of the corporation, to the effect that the person named in the statement has been appointed as the representative of the corporation for the purposes of this section shall be admissible without further proof as prima facie evidence that that person has been so appointed.

34. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

35. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

36Forgery of passport.C1C2

(1)

F1... The making by any person of a statement which is to his knowledge untrue for the purpose of procuring a passport, whether for himself or any other person, shall be a misdemeanour punishable with imprisonment not exceeding two years or a fine F2... or both such imprisonment and fine.

F3(2)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

37Unlawful possession of pension documents.

(1)

If any person receives, detains or has in his possession any document to which this section applies as a pledge or a security for a debt or with a view to obtaining payment from the person entitled thereto of a debt due either to himself or to any other person, he shall be liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding F1level 3 on the standard scale, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or to both such fine and imprisonment.

(2)

This section applies to certificates or official documents evidencing or issued in connection with the right of persons to pensions or allowances payable out of any grant which may be made out of the Consolidated Fund of the United Kingdom in pursuance of any Act for civil non–effective services.

38. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

39. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

40. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

41Prohibition on taking photographs, &c., in court.C1C2C3C4C5C6

(1)

No person shall—

(a)

take or attempt to take in any court any photograph, or with a view to publication make or attempt to make in any court any portrait or sketch, of any person, being a judge of the court or a juror or a witness in or a party to any proceedings before the court, whether civil or criminal; or

(b)

publish any photograph, portrait or sketch taken or made in contravention of the foregoing provisions of this section or any reproduction thereof;

and if any person acts in contravention of this section he shall, on summary conviction, be liable in respect of each offence to a fine not exceeding F1level 3 on the standard scale.

F2(1ZA)

Subsection (1) does not apply to anything done in accordance with a direction under section 85A of the Courts Act 2003 (remote observation and recording of court and tribunal proceedings).

F3(1A)

See section 32 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013 for power to provide for F4further exceptions.

(2)

For the purposes of this section—

F5(a)

the expression “court” means any court of justice (including the court of a coroner), apart from the Supreme Court;

(b)

the expression “Judge” includes . . . F6, registrar, magistrate, justice and coroner:

(c)

a photograph, portrait or sketch shall be deemed to be a photograph, portrait or sketch taken or made in court if it is taken or made in the court–room or in the building or in the precincts of the building in which the court is held, or if it is a photograph, portrait or sketch taken or made of the person while he is entering or leaving the court–room or any such building or precincts as aforesaid.

42. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

43. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

44, 45. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

46. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

47Abolition of presumption of coercion of married woman by husband.F1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

48. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1

49Short title, interpretation, extent, repeal and commencement.

(1)

This Act may be cited as the Criminal Justice Act 1925.

F1(2)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(3)

This Act shall not extend to Scotland or Northern Ireland, and references therein to warrants issued shall not be construed as including warrants issued elsewhere than in England or Wales.

4), (5)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F2

Schedule 1F1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Schedule 2F1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Schedule 3F1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .