{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/magistrates-courts-act-1980/section-24",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/magistrates-courts-act-1980/section-24.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1980/43",
  "legislation_title": "Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/magistrates-courts-act-1980",
  "path": "section/24",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "24",
  "heading": "Summary trial of information against child or young person for indictable offence.",
  "text": "(1) Where a person under the age of 18 years appears or is brought before a magistrates' court on an information charging him with an indictable offence he shall, subject to sections 51 and 51A of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and to sections 24A and 24B below, be tried summarily.\n(1A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(1B) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(3) If on trying a person summarily in pursuance of subsection (1) above the court finds him guilty, it may impose a fine of an amount not exceeding £1000 or may exercise the same powers as it could have exercised if he had been found guilty of an offence for which, but for section 227(1) of the Sentencing Code, it could have sentenced him to imprisonment for a term not exceeding—\n(a) the maximum term of imprisonment for the offence on conviction on indictment; or\n(b) six months,\nwhichever is the less.\n(4) In relation to a person under the age of l4 subsection (3) above shall have effect as if for the words “£1000” there were substituted the words “£250”; ...",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 24(1) substituted (18.6.2012 for specified purposes, 5.11.2012 for specified purposes, 28.5.2013 for specified purposes) by Criminal Justice Act 2003 (c. 44), s. 336(3)(4), Sch. 3 para. 9(2); S.I. 2012/1320, art. 4(1)(c)(2)(3) (with art. 5) (see S.I. 2012/2574, art. 4(2) and S.I. 2013/1103, art. 4); S.I. 2012/2574, art. 2(2)(3)(c), Sch. (with arts. 3, 4) (as amended (4.11.2012) by S.I. 2012/2761, art. 2) (with S.I. 2013/1103, art. 4); S.I. 2013/1103, art. 2(1)(c)(2)(3) (with arts. 3, 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "S. 24(1A)(1B)(2) omitted (18.6.2012 for specified purposes, 5.11.2012 for specified purposes, 28.5.2013 for specified purposes) by virtue of Criminal Justice Act 2003 (c. 44), s. 336(3)(4), Sch. 3 para. 9(3); S.I. 2012/1320, art. 4(1)(c)(2)(3) (with art. 5) (see S.I. 2012/2574, art. 4(2) and S.I. 2013/1103, art. 4); S.I. 2012/2574, art. 2(2)(3)(c), Sch. (with arts. 3, 4) (as amended (4.11.2012) by S.I. 2012/2761, art. 2) (with S.I. 2013/1103, art. 4); S.I. 2013/1103, art. 2(1)(c)(2)(3) (with arts. 3, 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Word in s. 24(3) substituted (1.10.1992) by virtue of Criminal Justice Act 1991 (c. 53, SIF 39:1), ss. 17(2)(a), 101(1), Sch. 12 para. 6 (with s. 28); S.I. 1992/333, art. 2(2), Sch. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in s. 24(3) substituted (1.12.2020) by Sentencing Act 2020 (c. 17), s. 416(1), Sch. 24 para. 48 (with Sch. 24 para. 447, Sch. 27); S.I. 2020/1236, reg. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words substituted by Criminal Justice Act 1982 ( c. 48, SIF 39:1), s. 77, Sch. 14 para. 47"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Word in s. 24(4) substituted (1.10.1992) by virtue of Criminal Justice Act 1991 (c. 53, SIF 39:1), ss. 17(2)(a), 101(1), Sch. 12 para. 6 (with s. 28); S.I. 1992/333, art. 2(2), Sch. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Word in s. 24(4) substituted (1.10.1992) by virtue of Criminal Justice Act 1991 (c. 53, SIF 39:1), ss. 17(2)(b), 101(1), Sch. 12 para. 6 (with s. 28); S.I. 1992/333, art. 2(2), Sch. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "Words in s. 24(4) repealed (1.10.1992) by Criminal Justice Act 1991 (c. 53, SIF 39:1), ss. 101(2), Sch. 13; S.I. 1992/333, art. 2(2), Sch. 2"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "words substituted",
      "affecting": "ukpga/2022/35",
      "affecting_title": "Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1980/43/section/24",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-31T10:26:47.197891+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."
}