{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/police-act-1997/section-126",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/police-act-1997/section-126.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1997/50",
  "legislation_title": "Police Act 1997",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/police-act-1997",
  "path": "section/126",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "126",
  "heading": "Interpretation of Part V.",
  "text": "(1) In this Part—\n“caution” means a caution given to a person in England and Wales or Northern Ireland in respect of an offence which, at the time when the caution is given, he has admitted;\n“certificate” means any one or more documents issued in response to a particular application but does not include any documents issued in response to—\n(a) a request under section 116A(1),\n(b) an application as mentioned in section 116A(4)(a) or (5)(a), or\n(c) a request under section 120AC or 120AD;\n“chief officer” means—\n(i) a chief officer of police of a police force in England and Wales,\n(ii) the chief constable of the Police Service of Scotland, and\n(iii) the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland;\n“DBS” means the Disclosure and Barring Service established by section 87(1) of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012;\n“the Department” means the Department of Justice in Northern Ireland;\n“government department” includes a Northern Ireland department;\n“Minister of the Crown” includes a Northern Ireland department;\n“police authority” means—\n(i) the Scottish Police Authority, and\n(ii) the Northern Ireland Policing Board;\n“police force” means—\n(i) a police force in Great Britain, and\n(ii) the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Police Service of Northern Ireland Reserve;\n“prescribed” shall be construed in accordance with section 125(1);\n“tri-service serious crime unit” means the unit described in section 375(1A) of the Armed Forces Act 2006.\n(2) In the application of this Part to Northern Ireland, a reference to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, or to a provision of that Act, shall be construed as a reference to the Rehabilitation of Offenders (Northern Ireland) Order 1978 or, as the case may be, to the corresponding provision of that order.\n(3) In the application of this Part to Northern Ireland a reference to the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, or to a provision of that Act, shall be construed as a reference to the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 or, as the case maybe, to the corresponding provision of that Order.\n(3) In the application of this Part to Scotland references to the Secretary of State must be construed as references to the Scottish Ministers.\n(4) Subsection (3) does not apply to section 118(2A)(d) or 124A(1) and (2).",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Pt. 5 repealed (S.) (1.4.2025) by Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 (asp 13), s. 97, sch. 5 para. 3 (with s. 96); S.S.I. 2025/27, reg. 3(1)(2), sch. (with regs. 4, 5, 7-10)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 126(1) inserted (E.W.) (10.9.2012 immediately after S.I. 2012/2157 comes into force for specified purposes, 17.6.2013 in so far as not already in force) by Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (c. 9), s. 120, Sch. 9 para. 118 (with s. 97); S.I. 2012/2234, art. 2(aa)(xiii); S.I. 2013/1180, art. 2(e)(iv); and inserted (N.I.) (2.11.2015 for specified purposes) by Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 (c. 9), s. 106(2), Sch. 5 para. 19(2); S.R. 2015/358, art. 2(m)(viii)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 126 substituted (E.W.N.I.) (1.4.2013) by The Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 (Consequential Provisions and Modifications) Order 2013 (S.I. 2013/602), art. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 6(7)(a); and (S.) (1.4.2013) by Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 (asp 8), s. 129(2), sch. 7 para. 14(8)(a); S.S.I. 2013/51, art. 2 (with transitional provisions and savings in S.S.I. 2013/121)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in s. 126(1) substituted (4.11.2001) by 2000 c. 32, s. 78(1), Sch. 6 para. 20(2)(a)(b); S.R. 2001/396, art. 2, Sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 126(1) inserted (E.W.) (1.12.2012) by The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (Disclosure and Barring Service Transfer of Functions) Order 2012 (S.I. 2012/3006), arts. 1(1), 47 (with Pt. 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in s. 126(1) inserted (N.I.) (2.11.2015 for specified purposes) by Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 (c. 9), s. 106(2), Sch. 5 para. 19(3); S.R. 2015/358, art. 2(m)(viii)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Words in s. 126(1) substituted (E.W.N.I.) (1.4.2013) by The Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 (Consequential Provisions and Modifications) Order 2013 (S.I. 2013/602), art. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 6(7)(b); and (S.) (1.4.2013) by Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 (asp 8), s. 129(2), sch. 7 para. 14(8)(b); S.S.I. 2013/51, art. 2 (with transitional provisions and savings in S.S.I. 2013/121)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "Words in s. 126(1) substituted (4.11.2001) by 2000 c. 32, s. 78(1), Sch. 6 para. 20(3); S.R. 2001/396, art. 2, Sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "Words in s. 126(1) inserted (1.5.2022 for specified purposes, 5.12.2022 in so far as not already in force) by Armed Forces Act 2021 (c. 35), s. 24(1), Sch. 5 para. 11; S.I. 2022/471, reg. 2(e); S.I. 2022/1095, reg. 4"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F10",
      "text": "S. 126(3) added (N.I.) (12.10.2009) by The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/1351), art. 1(3), Sch. 7 para. 3 (with arts. 2(4), 53, 57(3), 61(4)); S.R. 2009/304, art. 3(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F11",
      "text": "S. 126(3)(4) inserted (1.7.2005 for S., 1.7.2005 for E.W., 3.12.2007 for N.I.) by Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15), ss. 166(2), 178(4)(d)(8); S.S.I. 2005/358, art. 2(d); S.I. 2005/1521, art. 3(3)(c); S.I. 2007/3341, art. 2(c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M1",
      "text": "1974 c. 53."
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M2",
      "text": "S.I. 1978/1908 (N.I. 27)."
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 126 in force at 1.3.2002 for E.W. by S.I. 2002/413, art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I2",
      "text": "S. 126 in force at 3.12.2007 for N.I. by S.I. 2007/3342, art. 2(l)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1997/50/section/126",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:24:18.907526+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."
}