Criminal Law Act 1977

FIREARMS ACT 1968(c. 27) E+W+S

For paragraph 3 of Part II of Schedule 6 (under which a person charged with an offence specified in Schedule 1 to the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1952 and an offence under section 17(1) or (2) of the Firearms Act 1968 (using firearm to resist arrest, and possessing firearm while committing certain offences) may not be tried summarily for the former if he is sent for trial for the latter) substitute the following paragraph—

“3 (1) Where in England or Wales a person who has attained the age of seventeen is charged before a magistrates’ court with an offence triable either way listed in Schedule 3 to the Criminal Law Act 1977 (“the listed offence”) and is also charged before that court with an offence under section 17(1) or (2) of this Act, the following provisions of this paragraph shall apply.

(2) Subject to the following sub-paragraph the court shall proceed as if the listed offence were triable only on indictment and sections 19 to 24 of the said Act of 1977 (procedure for determining mode of trial of offences triable either way) shall not apply in relation to that offence.

(3) If the court determines not to commit the accused for trial in respect of the offence under section 17(1) or (2), or if proceedings before the court for that offence are otherwise discontinued, the preceding sub-paragraph shall cease to apply as from the time when this occurs and—

(a) if at that time the court has not yet begun to inquire into the listed offence as examining justices, the court shall, in the case of the listed offence, proceed in the ordinary way in accordance with the said sections 19 to 24; but

(b) if at that time the court has begun so to inquire into the listed offence, those sections shall continue not to apply and the court shall proceed with its inquiry into that offence as examining justices, but shall have power in accordance with section 25(3) and (4) of the said Act of 1977 to change to summary trial with the accused’s consent.”.