{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/sexual-offences-act-2003/section-70",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/sexual-offences-act-2003/section-70.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2003/42",
  "legislation_title": "Sexual Offences Act 2003",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/sexual-offences-act-2003",
  "path": "section/70",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "70",
  "heading": "Sexual activity with a corpse",
  "text": "(1) A person commits an offence if—\n(a) the person intentionally performs an act of touching (with a part of their body or anything else),\n(b) what is touched is a part of the body of a dead person,\n(c) the person knows that, or is reckless as to whether, that is what is touched, and\n(d) the touching is sexual.\n(2) A person who commits an offence under this section is liable—\n(a) on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding the general limit in a magistrates’ court or a fine (or both);\n(b) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding—\n(i) if the touching involved penetration of a part of the body mentioned in subsection (1)(b), 7 years;\n(ii) otherwise, 5 years.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Ss. 66-72 repealed (N.I.) (2.2.2009) by The Sexual Offences (Northern Ireland) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/1769 (N.I. 2)), arts. 1, 78(e), Sch. 3 (with Sch. 2 para. 1) S.R. 2008/510, art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "S. 70 substituted (E.W.) (29.9.2026) by Crime and Policing Act 2026 (c. 20), ss. 115(1), 255(1); S.I. 2026/960, reg. 3(a)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/42/section/70",
    "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."
}