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Indictable offence
- General
An offence that may be tried on indictment in the Crown Court before a judge and jury. Indictable-only offences such as murder, rape, and robbery must be tried in the Crown Court. Many offences are triable either way (summary or on indictment depending on mode of trial election). The classification affects which police powers apply, including the powers of search under section 18 PACE and extended detention.
In practice
The classification of an offence as indictable matters at the custody stage because certain extended powers (superintendent authorisation, section 18 search, warrants of further detention) only apply to indictable offences. Triable-either-way offences are treated as indictable for custody purposes.
Last updated 24 September 2026