{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/criminal-procedure-and-investigations-act-1996/section-10",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/criminal-procedure-and-investigations-act-1996/section-10.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1996/25",
  "legislation_title": "Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/criminal-procedure-and-investigations-act-1996",
  "path": "section/10",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "10",
  "heading": "Prosecutor’s failure to observe time limits.",
  "text": "(1) This section applies if the prosecutor—\n(a) purports to act under section 3 after the end of the period which, by virtue of section 12, is the relevant period for section 3, or\n(b) purports to act under section 7A(5) after the end of the period which, by virtue of section 12, is the relevant period for section 7A.\n(2) Subject to subsection (3), the failure to act during the period concerned does not on its own constitute grounds for staying the proceedings for abuse of process.\n(3) Subsection (2) does not prevent the failure constituting such grounds if it involves such delay by the prosecutor that the accused is denied a fair trial.",
  "extent": "E+W+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 10(1)(b) substituted (4.4.2005 for E.W. and 15.7.2005 for N.I.) by Criminal Justice Act 2003 (c. 44), ss. 331, 336, Sch. 36 Pt. 3 para. 27; S.I. 2005/950, art. 2, Sch. 1; S.I. 2005/1817, art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "Pt. I power to apply (with modifications) conferred by SI 2015/1490 rule 23.2 Note (as inserted (2.4.2018) by The Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2018 (S.I. 2018/132), rules 1, 11(a)(v))"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/25/section/10",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:32:07.183739+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."
}