{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/sexual-offences-act-2003/schedule-3/paragraph-97",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/sexual-offences-act-2003/schedule-3/paragraph-97.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2003/42",
  "legislation_title": "Sexual Offences Act 2003",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/sexual-offences-act-2003",
  "path": "schedule/3/paragraph/97",
  "kind": "paragraph",
  "number": "97",
  "heading": null,
  "text": "For the purposes of paragraphs 14, 44 and 78—\n(a) a person is to be taken to have been under 16 at any time if it appears from the evidence as a whole that he was under that age at that time;\n(b) section 7 of the Protection of Children Act 1978 (c. 37) (interpretation), subsections (2) to (2C) and (8) to (10) of section 52 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (c. 45), and Article 2(2) and (3) of the Protection of Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1978 (S.I. 1978/1047 (N.I. 17)) (interpretation) (respectively) apply as each provision applies for the purposes of the Act or Order of which it forms part.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in Sch. 3 para. 97(b) substituted (S.) (13.12.2010) by Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 (asp 13), ss. 41(3)(b), 206(1); S.S.I. 2010/413, art. 2, Sch."
    }
  ],
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      "affecting_title": "Crime and Policing Act 2026"
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      "affecting_title": "Crime and Policing Act 2026"
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  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/42/schedule/3/paragraph/97",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:17:48.870823+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."
}