Citation 11 & 12 Geo 6 c 58 Royal assent 30 July 1948 | Territorial extent England and Wales | |
 | ||
Long title An Act to abolish penal servitude, hard labour, prison divisions and sentence of whipping ; to amend the law-relating to the probation of offenders, and otherwise to reform existing methods and provide new methods of dealing with offenders and persons liable to imprisonment; to amend the law relating to the proceedings of criminal courts, including" the law relating to evidence before such courts; to abolish privilege of peerage in criminal proceedings; to regulate the management of prisons and other institutions and the treatment of offenders and other persons committed to custody; to re-enact certain enactments relating to the matters aforesaid; and for purposes connected therewith. | ||
The Criminal Justice Act 1948 (11 & 12 Geo 6 c 58) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It has been described as "one of the most important measures relating to the reform of the criminal law and its administration." It abolished penal servitude, hard labour and prison divisions for England and Wales (s.1). It also abolished whipping for England and Wales and Scotland (s.2). It further abolished the right of peers to be tried in the House of Lords (s. 30).
Provision corresponding to some of the provisions made by this Act is made by the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1949 and the Criminal Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 1953 and the Criminal Law Act, 1997.
References
Criminal Justice Act 1948 Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA