Legislation – Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015
Changes to legislation:
There are outstanding changes not yet made by the legislation.gov.uk editorial team to Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015. Any changes that have already been made by the team appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.![]()
Changes to Legislation
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Changes and effects yet to be applied to Section 51:
- s. 21(8)(d)(e) substituted for s. 21(8)(d) by 2025 asc 1 Sch. 1 para. 6(2)
Changes and effects yet to be applied to the whole Act associated Parts and Chapters:
Whole provisions yet to be inserted into this Act (including any effects on those provisions):
- s. 21(8)(d)(e) substituted for s. 21(8)(d) by 2025 asc 1 Sch. 1 para. 6(2)
PART 3Courts and tribunals
Time limit for bringing certain criminal proceedings
51Offence of improper use of public electronic communications network
(1)
“(5)
An information or complaint relating to an offence under this section may be tried by a magistrates’ court in England and Wales or Northern Ireland if it is laid or made—
(a)
before the end of the period of 3 years beginning with the day on which the offence was committed, and
(b)
before the end of the period of 6 months beginning with the day on which evidence comes to the knowledge of the prosecutor which the prosecutor considers sufficient to justify proceedings.
(6)
Summary proceedings for an offence under this section may be commenced in Scotland—
(a)
before the end of the period of 3 years beginning with the day on which the offence was committed, and
(b)
before the end of the period of 6 months beginning with the day on which evidence comes to the knowledge of the prosecutor which the prosecutor considers sufficient to justify proceedings,
and section 136(3) of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 (date when proceedings deemed to be commenced) applies for the purposes of this subsection as it applies for the purposes of that section.
(7)
A certificate of a prosecutor as to the date on which evidence described in subsection (5)(b) or (6)(b) came to his or her knowledge is conclusive evidence of that fact.”
(2)
The amendment made by this section applies only in relation to an offence committed on or after the day on which it comes into force.