Legal Update - 29 June 2026
The Crime and Policing Act 2026 received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026. Only a limited number of sections came into force on that day, primarily providing powers to make regulations and section 241 which removed women from the criminal law related to abortion (see Legal Update for details). Further sections have been commenced on 29 June 2026. Many are amendments to other legislation. See below for details.
Firearms Act 1968
New section 2A of the Firearms Act 1968 creates a new summary only offence of possession of a relevant accessory to a firearm unless the person holds a firearm certificate or a shot gun certificate and is punishable by a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.
Sexual grooming
New section 70A of the Sentencing Act 2020 makes grooming a statutory aggravating factor when sentencing for a specified child sex offence.
Offender management
Section 28 of the Offender Management Act 2007 has been amended to extend a polygraph condition to be included in the licence of a person who is released on licence, who has been convicted of murder and is assessed as posing a risk of sexual offending (section 28(2A)), to those having served a relevant custodial sentence concurrently for a sexual and a non-sexual offence (section 28(2B)) and to certain offenders sentenced for terrorism offences before certain dates (section 28(4A)(d) and (4BA) to (4BC)). This would for example cover those offenders convicted of rape and murder where the rape sentence expires before release on licence for the murder, and equally for sexual and non-sexual offences where the offender is still on licence for the non-sexual only.
Duties of offenders to notify details of changes to their name, such as an alias, their telephone numbers and email addresses apply to certain offenders serving a sentence in the community, see new section 97A of the Sentencing Act 2020 (referral orders) as well the amended sections 193 (youth rehabilitation orders), 215 (community orders) and 301 (suspended sentence orders).
Technology testing defence for relevant offences
Section 111 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 provides a power for the Secretary of State to make regulations which, once enacted, will create statutory defences for authorised persons involved in the testing and investigation of technology, where such activity would otherwise involve the commission of offences relating to extreme pornography or child sexual abuse material. The relevant offences to which these defences may apply are set out in section 112.
Weapons and explosive measures
Section 232 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 amends provisions in relation to Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures (TPIM) and State Threats Prevention and Investigation Measures (STPIM) to widen the weapons and explosive measures to include in particular corrosive substances and motor vehicles, see paragraph 6A of Schedule 1 to the Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Act 2011 and paragraph 7 of Schedule 7 to the National Security Act 2023. This is based on a recommendation by the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, Jonathan Hall to “enable the Home Secretary to prohibit the possession of unapproved knives or bladed articles”. This amendment applies to notices served before and after 29 June 2026.
Breach of a foreign travel restriction order
Further amendments bring the offence of breach of a foreign travel restriction order contrary to paragraph 15 of Schedule 5 to the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008 in line with other terrorism offences carrying a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment. The offence has been added into paragraph 8 of Schedule 19ZA to the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (restricted eligibility of terrorist prisoners for release on licence) and early release is therefore restricted under section 247A; see also sections 252A(6), 265(5) and 278(5) of, and paragraph 4 of Schedule 13 to, the Sentencing Act 2020 for special sentences for certain offenders of particular concern which now apply to this offence.
Defence for slavery / trafficking victims
Section 45 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 provides a defence for slavery or trafficking victims, to encourage victims to come forward and give evidence without fear of being convicted themselves. This defence does not apply to certain serious offences and section 237 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 has added further terrorism offences to Schedule 4 to the 2015 Act.
Wearing uniforms / carrying items relating to proscribed organisations
A new offence of wearing of uniforms and displaying or carrying items relating to proscribed organisations in prisons and other places of detention is inserted in section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000 and also a new police power to seize and destroy such items.
Criminal liability of bodies corporate and partnerships where senior manager commits offence
Section 250 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 enables a corporate body or partnership to be held criminally liable where a senior manager commits an offence while acting within the actual or apparent authority granted by the organisation. The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 provided for corporate liability in these circumstances; however, this was limited and only applied in relation to certain economic crime offences only, whereas section 250 applies to any offence. This has been described as one of the most significant changes to UK corporate criminal law in over a century.
Statutory Guidance regarding the disclosure of information by police for the purpose of preventing sexual offending
Section 97 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 confers a power on the Secretary of State to issue statutory guidance to chief officers of police about the disclosure of police information by police forces for the purposes of preventing relevant sexual offences. Such guidance is presently issued on a non-statutory basis (see Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme, being the only guidance of this type currently). Once statutory guidance is issued or re-issued on a statutory basis, Chief Officers of Police must take any such guidance into account unless, they have good reason for departing from it. Other miscellaneous provisions relating to the issue of guidance are made under the section.
Intimate image generators
A new either way offence (H102787) of making or supplying purported intimate image generators is created by new section 66I of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. A generator of purported intimate images is something used for creating or facilitating the creation of purported intimate images of a person. This is often referred to as a “nudification tool”. Associated supplementary sections are inserted into the 2003 Act providing for liability exemptions and interpretation (see sections 66J-L).
Anti-social behaviour
Section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002 is amended, removing the necessity for a constable to have first conferred a warning before seizing a vehicle using the powers conferred by that section. This applies in relation to the use of motor vehicles after the coming into force of the amendments on 29th June 2026. The giving of warnings will still apply to any use of a motor vehicle prior to 29 June 2026.
Section 11 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 creates the new offence (H102807) of trespassing with intent to commit a criminal offence. This offence was introduced with the intention of covering situations outside of theft, grievous bodily harm (GBH) or damage as set out in section 9(2) of the Theft Act 1968. This provides that it is a criminal offence for a person to trespass on any premises (which covers any building, part of a building or enclosed area) with the intention to commit an offence. This may cover any type of crime.
Section 12 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 creates the new offence (H102819) of arranging or facilitating another person’s begging for gain. This offence was introduced to tackle organised begging by making it unlawful, for example, for persons to operate organised begging gangs or to drive individuals to places for them to beg.
Concealing identity at protests
Section 157 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 creates a new summary offence (H102805) of concealing identity at protests for those wearing, or otherwise using, an item that conceals identity in a public place, within an area designated under section 158 of the 2026 Act. The reference to “otherwise using an item” ensures the offence applies not only to coverings worn on a person’s face, but also other items, such as placards or masks held close to the face, which are used for the purpose of concealing identity.
Possession of pyrotechnic articles at protests
Section 160 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 creates a new summary offence (H102806) of possessing a pyrotechnic article at any time while taking part in a public procession that constitutes a protest, a public assembly which constitutes a protest, or a one-person protest. A “pyrotechnic article” for these purposes covers, for example, flares and fireworks, but excludes matches or other articles, or description of articles, specified in regulations made by the Secretary of State. Possession of a pyrotechnic article at a cultural or religious event of a kind at which pyrotechnic articles are customarily used are excluded from the ambit of this legislation.
Climb war memorial
Section 161 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 creates the new summary offence (H102808) of climbing on memorials, to address circumstances where individuals climb onto a ‘specified war memorial’ but do not damage it. The term “specified war memorial” means war memorials or parts of war memorials specified in Parts 1, 2 and 3 of Schedule 17 to the 2026 Act, which are those designated as Historic England National Heritage Category I sites that are accessible by the public.
Possession of pyrotechnic articles at protests
Section 162 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 creates the new summary offence (H102809) of protesting outside a public office holder’s home. This offence can be committed alone or with other persons, outside or in the vicinity of a premises used by a public office-holder as a dwelling. The purpose of the protest being to represent or persuade the office holder that they should / should not do something, or should / should not have done something, and the protest was carried on because of / in connection with the public office-holder being a public office-holder. The offence applies to any premises used as a private residence by a public office-holder including a residential constituency or London address. However, the offence does not apply to official residences, preserving the right to protest in public political spaces (for example, near Number 10 Downing Street); nor does it apply to constituency offices.
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