{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/theft-act-1978/section-4",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/theft-act-1978/section-4.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1978/31",
  "legislation_title": "Theft Act 1978",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/theft-act-1978",
  "path": "section/4",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "4",
  "heading": "Punishments.",
  "text": "(1) Offences under this Act shall be punishable either on conviction on indictment or on summary conviction.\n(2) A person convicted on indictment shall be liable—\n(a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(b) for an offence under section 3 of this Act, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years.\n(3) A person convicted summarily of any offence under this Act shall be liable—\n(a) to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months; or\n(b) to a fine not exceeding the prescribed sum for the purposes of section 32 of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980 (punishment on summary conviction of offences triable either way: £1,000 or other sum substituted by order under that Act),\nor to both.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 4(2)(a) omitted (15.1.2007) by virtue of Fraud Act 2006 (c. 35), s. 15(1), Sch. 1 para. 14, Sch. 3; S.I. 2006/3200, art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words substituted by Magistrates' Courts Act 1980 (c. 43, SIF 82), Sch. 7 para. 170"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1978/31/section/4",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-28T17:28:40.480905+00:00",
    "licence": "OGL-UK-3.0",
    "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."
  }
}