The Criminal Justice Act 2003 (c.44) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is a wide ranging measure introduced to modernise many areas of the criminal justice system in England and Wales and, to a lesser extent, in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
It amends the law relating to police powers, bail, disclosure, allocation of criminal offences, prosecution appeals, autrefois acquit ("double jeopardy"), hearsay, bad character evidence, sentencing and release on licence. It permits offences to be tried by a judge sitting alone without a jury in cases where there is a danger of jury-tampering. It also expands the circumstances in which defendants can be tried twice for the same offence (double jeopardy), when "new and compelling evidence" is introduced.
Read more about Criminal Justice Act 2003: Origins, Trials Without A Jury, Retrial For Serious Offences (the 'Double Jeopardy' Rule), Sentencing Reform
Famous quotes containing the words criminal, justice and/or act:
“The attorneys defending a criminal are rarely artists enough to turn the beautiful ghastliness of his deed to his advantage.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)
“Through tattered clothes great vices do appear;
Robes and furred gowns hide all. Place sin with gold,
And the strong lance of justice hurtless breaks:
Arm it in rags, a pigmy’s straw does pierce it.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“To see him act is like reading Shakespeare by flashes of lightning.”
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–1834)