{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/explosive-substances-act-1883/section-4",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/explosive-substances-act-1883/section-4.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/Vict/46-47/3",
  "legislation_title": "Explosive Substances Act 1883",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/explosive-substances-act-1883",
  "path": "section/4",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "4",
  "heading": "Punishment for making or possession of explosive under suspicious circumstances.",
  "text": "(1) Any person who makes or knowingly has in his possession or under his control any explosive substance, under such circumstances as to give rise to a reasonable suspicion that he is not making it or does not have it in his possession or under his control for a lawful object, shall, unless he can show that he made it or had it in his possession or under his control for a lawful object, be guilty of an offence.\n(1A) A person who is guilty of an offence under subsection (1) is liable, on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for life.\n(1B) Where a person is convicted of an offence under subsection (1) the explosive substance is to be forfeited.\n(2) In any proceeding against any person for a crime under this section, such person and his wife, or husband, as the case may be, may, if such person thinks fit, be called, sworn, examined, and cross-examined as an ordinary witness in the case.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 4(1) substituted (13.4.2015) by Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 (c. 2), ss. 1(1)(a), 95(1) (with s. 1(4)); S.I. 2015/778, art. 3, Sch. 1 para. 1"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "S. 4(1A)(1B) inserted (13.4.2015) by Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 (c. 2), ss. 1(1)(b), 95(1) (with s. 1(4)); S.I. 2015/778, art. 3, Sch. 1 para. 1"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "S. 4(2) repealed (E.W.) by Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (c. 60, SIF 95), s. 119(2), Sch. 7 Pt. V"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "Reference to penal servitude to be construed as reference to imprisonment: (E.W.) Criminal Justice Act 1948 (c. 58), s. 1(1), (S.) Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975 (c. 21), s. 221(1) and (N.I.) Criminal Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 1953 (c. 14), s. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "S. 4 restricted (27.2.1997) by 1997 c. 7, s. 4(1), Sch. para. 2 (with s. 11(2))s. 4 modified (prosp.) by 2000 c. 11, ss. 77(3), 128 (with s. 113(1))"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C3",
      "text": "S. 4 extended (N.I.) with modifications by Criminal Jurisdiction Act 1975 (c. 59), s. 1, Sch. 1 Pt. I para. 8, Pt. II para. 12(1)(3)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/46-47/3/section/4",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T12:40:39.170711+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."
}