Criminal Justice Act 2003

A comprehensive Act reforming many aspects of the criminal justice system, including evidence law, sentencing, and bail. It introduced a reformed framework for bad character evidence, relaxed the hearsay rules, created the dangerousness regime for serious violent and sexual offenders, amended disclosure rules, and introduced new community sentences and custody plus arrangements. Many of its sentencing provisions remain central to the current framework.

Key Provisions

• Part 11: evidence including bad character evidence (sections 98 to 113)
• Part 11: hearsay evidence (sections 114 to 136)
• Part 12: sentencing including community orders and custody
• Section 225 to 229: dangerous offender provisions (extended sentences)
• Section 142: purposes of sentencing (punishment, reduction, reform, protection, reparation)
• Section 143: determining seriousness of offence
• Section 144: guilty plea discount
• Schedule 15: serious offences triggering dangerousness provisions

Relevance to Policing

Central to sentencing law, the bad character evidence regime, hearsay, and dangerous offender provisions. Relevant to anyone involved in Crown Court proceedings.