{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/justices-of-the-peace-act-1997-repealed/section-72",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/justices-of-the-peace-act-1997-repealed/section-72.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1997/25",
  "legislation_title": "Justices of the Peace Act 1997 (repealed)",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/justices-of-the-peace-act-1997-repealed",
  "path": "section/72",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "72",
  "heading": "Interpretation.",
  "text": "(1) In this Act, except to the extent that the context otherwise requires—\n“capital expenditure” means expenditure which is capital expenditure for the purposes of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of the Local Government Act 2003 (capital finance);\n. . .\n. . .\n“justices’ clerk” means a clerk to the justices for a petty sessions area;\n. . .\n“magistrate”—\n(a)in relation to a commission area, means a justice of the peace for the commission area, other than a justice whose name is for the time being entered in the supplemental list;\n(b)in relation to a part of a commission area, means a person who (in accordance with paragraph (a) of this definition) is a magistrate for that area and ordinarily acts in and for that part of it; and\n(c)in relation to a magistrates’ courts committee area, means a person who (in accordance with paragraphs (a) and (b) of this definition) is a magistrate for that area or any part of that area;\n. . .\n“officer” includes the holder of any place, situation or employment, and “office” shall be construed accordingly;\n“petty sessional court-house” means—\n(a)a court-house or place at which justices are accustomed to assemble for holding special or petty sessions or for the time being appointed as a substitute for such a court-house or place (including, where justices are accustomed to assemble for either special or petty sessions at more than one court-house or place in a petty sessions area, any such court-house or place); or\n(b)a court-house or place at which a District Judge (Magistrates’ Courts) is authorised by law to do alone any act authorised to be done by more than one justice of the peace:\n. . .\n. . .\n. . .\n. . .\n“the supplemental list” has the meaning given by section 7 above; and\n“unitary district” means a district comprised in an area for which there is no county council.\n(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 72(1): definition of \"capital expenditure\" substituted (27.11.2003 for W. for specified purposes, and 1.4.2004 for E.) by Local Government Act 2003 (c. 26), ss. 127(1), 128(6), Sch. 7 para. 63; S.I. 2003/2938, art. 7(a) (with Sch.); S.I. 2003/3034, art. 2(1), Sch. Pt. 1"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Definition in s. 72(1) repealed (27.9.1999) by 1999 c. 22, ss. 106, 108(3)(f), Sch. 15 Pt. V(1) (with Sch. 14 paras. 7(2), 36(9)); S.I. 1999/2657, art. 2(d)(iii)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Definition in s. 72(1) repealed (1.4.2001) by 1999 c. 22, s. 106, Sch. 15 Pt. V(6) (with Sch. 14 paras. 7(2), 36(9)); S.I. 2001/916, art. 2(c)(i) (subject to transitional provisions in Sch. 2 para. 2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Definition in s. 72(1) repealed (27.9.1999) by 1999 c. 22, ss. 106, 108(3)(f), Sch. 15 Pt. V(5) (with Sch. 14 paras. 7(2), 36(9)); S.I. 1999/2657, art. 2(d)(iii)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 72(1) substituted (27.9.1999) by 1999 c. 22, ss. 76, 108(3)(c), Sch. 10 paras. 47, 52(1)(3) (with Sch. 14 para. 7(2))"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in definition in s. 72(1) substituted (31.8.2000) by 1999 c. 22, s. 78, Sch. 11 paras. 43, 49 (with Sch. 14 para. 7(2)); S.I. 2000/1920, art. 3(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Definition in s. 72(1) repealed (31.8.2000) by 1999 c. 22, s. 106, Sch. 15 Pt. V(3) (with Sch. 14 paras. 7(2), 36(9)); S.I. 2000/1920, art. 3(c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "S. 72(2) repealed (27.9.1999) by 1999 c. 22, ss. 106, 108(3)(f), Sch. 15 Pt. V(1) (with Sch. 14 paras. 7(2), 36(9)); S.I. 1999/2657, art. 2(d)(iii)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1997/25/section/72",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:26:14.706489+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."
}