{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/police-and-criminal-evidence-act-1984/section-78",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/police-and-criminal-evidence-act-1984/section-78.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1984/60",
  "legislation_title": "Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/police-and-criminal-evidence-act-1984",
  "path": "section/78",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "78",
  "heading": "Exclusion of unfair evidence.",
  "text": "(1) In any proceedings the court may refuse to allow evidence on which the prosecution proposes to rely to be given if it appears to the court that, having regard to all the circumstances, including the circumstances in which the evidence was obtained, the admission of the evidence would have such an adverse effect on the fairness of the proceedings that the court ought not to admit it.\n(2) Nothing in this section shall prejudice any rule of law requiring a court to exclude evidence.\n(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 78(3) repealed (18.6.2012 for specified purposes, 5.11.2012 for specified purposes, 28.5.2013 for specified purposes) by Criminal Justice Act 2003 (c. 44), s. 336(3)(4), Sch.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. 56(5), Sch. 37 Pt. 4; S.I. 2012/1320, art. 4(1)(c)(d)(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)(d), 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)(d)(2)(3) (with arts. 3 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 78(1) modified (2.10.2000) by S.I. 2000/2370, rule 27(2), Sch. 3 Pt. III para. 18(c)S. 78(1) modified (2.10.2000) by S.I. 2000/2371, rule 27(2), Sch. 3 Pt. III para. 18(c)S. 78(1) modified (2.10.2000) by S.I. 2000/2372, rule 27(2), Sch. 3 Pt. III para. 18(c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "E",
      "label": "E1",
      "text": "S. 78 extends to England and Wales only with exceptions as regards courts martial, see s. 120(1)(6)-(8)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/60/section/78",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:00:58.179601+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."
}