Crime Brief

VIOLENT CRIME REDUCTION ACT 2006

The following sections come in to force on 12th February 2007:
Section 42

Amends ss 139(6)(b) and 139A(5)(a)(ii) of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 so that the maximum term of imprisonment for the offences of having an article with a blade or point in a public place, or of having such an article or another offensive weapon on school premises, is increased from two to four years.

Section 55

Provides that where a person is charged in respect of conduct that is an offence under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (SOA 2003) and was an
offence under one of the repealed offences listed in sub-s (2), and the only thing preventing the person being found guilty is that it cannot be proven beyond reasonable doubt whether the conduct took place before or after the commencement of SOA 2003, then it shall be conclusively presumed for the purposes of determining the guilt of the defendant that the conduct took place