Explanatory note

Conditional cautions are cautions to which specified conditions are attached, and are provided for in Part 3 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 Act (c. 44). A conditional caution may be given for reasons including that a prosecutor considers there is sufficient evidence to prosecute the offender and the offender admits the offence and agrees to a conditional caution being imposed.

This Order brings into force the provisions of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 (c. 4) set out in articles 2 and 3 on 8 July 2009. It makes amendments regarding the method of payment of financial penalties and the person to whom such payment should be made, makes provision for variation of the conditions of a conditional caution, and adds a provision that can be made in the code of practice for conditional cautions. The power to impose financial conditions was introduced by section 17 of the Police and Justice Act 2006 and was brought into force for some purposes by S.I. 2009/XXX (C. XXX) immediately before the amendments made by this Order, and so in practice to coincide with them. By virtue of that Order, that power (as amended by the amendments made by this Order) has effect only in relation to certain police areas.