Legislation – Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015

Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015, Section 29 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 15 December 2025. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.

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PART 1Criminal Justice

Driving offences

29Offences committed by disqualified drivers

(1)

After section 3ZB of the Road Traffic Act 1988 insert—

“3ZCCausing death by driving: disqualified drivers

A person is guilty of an offence under this section if he or she—

(a)

causes the death of another person by driving a motor vehicle on a road, and

(b)

at that time, is committing an offence under section 103(1)(b) of this Act (driving while disqualified).

3ZDCausing serious injury by driving: disqualified drivers

(1)

A person is guilty of an offence under this section if he or she—

(a)

causes serious injury to another person by driving a motor vehicle on a road, and

(b)

at that time, is committing an offence under section 103(1)(b) of this Act (driving while disqualified).

(2)

In this section “serious injury” means—

(a)

in England and Wales, physical harm which amounts to grievous bodily harm for the purposes of the Offences against the Person Act 1861, and

(b)

in Scotland, severe physical injury.”

(2)

In Part 1 of Schedule 2 to the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 (prosecution and punishment of offences under the Traffic Acts) at the appropriate place insert—

“RTA section 3ZC

Causing death by driving: disqualified drivers

On indictment

10 years or a fine or both

Obligatory

Obligatory

3-11

RTA section 3ZD

Causing serious injury by driving: disqualified drivers

(a) Summarily

(a) On conviction in England and Wales: 12 months or a fine or both. On conviction in Scotland: 12 months or the statutory maximum or both.

Obligatory

Obligatory

3-11

(b) On indictment

(b) 4 years or a fine or both”.

(3)

In the entries in Part 1 of Schedule 2 to the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 relating to an offence under section 3ZD of the Road Traffic Act 1988—

(a)

in relation to an offence committed before F12 May 2022, the reference in column 4 to F2the general limit in a magistrates’ court on summary conviction in England and Wales is to be read as a reference to 6 months, and

(b)

in relation to an offence committed before section 85 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 comes into force, the reference in column 4 to a fine on summary conviction in England and Wales is to be read as a reference to the statutory maximum.

(4)

Schedule 6 to this Act contains further amendments relating to the offences under sections 3ZC and 3ZD of the Road Traffic Act 1988.

(5)

The amendments made by this section and Schedule 6 have effect only in relation to driving which occurs after they come into force.

“RTA section 3ZC	Causing death by driving: disqualified drivers	On indictment	10 years or a fine or both	Obligatory	Obligatory	3-11
RTA section 3ZD	Causing serious injury by driving: disqualified drivers	(a) Summarily	(a) On conviction in England and Wales: 12 months or a fine or both. On conviction in Scotland: 12 months or the statutory maximum or both.	Obligatory	Obligatory	3-11
		(b) On indictment	(b) 4 years or a fine or both”.