Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994

Summary

The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 made wide-ranging changes to criminal justice including permitting adverse inferences from silence, creating offences relating to raves and trespass, and abolishing the right to committal proceedings.

Key Points

• Sections 34-37 — adverse inferences from silence: court may draw inferences where accused fails to mention facts later relied on, fails to give evidence, or fails to account for objects/substances/presence
• Aggravated trespass offence — trespassing on land and doing anything intended to intimidate, obstruct, or disrupt lawful activity
• Powers to remove trespassers on land and unauthorised campers
• Sections 63-67 — powers relating to raves (gatherings with amplified music)
• Male rape recognised — extended definition of rape to include male victims
• Abolished right of accused to insist on committal proceedings

Parts & Sections

Amendments History