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Sexual Offences Act 1956

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  1. Introductory Text

  2. Part I Offences, and the Prosecution and Punishment of Offences

    1. Intercourse by force, intimidation, etc.

      1. 1. Rape of woman or man.

      2. 2. Procurement of woman by threats.

      3. 3. Procurement of woman by false pretences.

      4. 4. Administering drugs to obtain or facilitate intercourse.

    2. Intercourse with girls under sixteen

      1. 5. Intercourse with girl under thirteen.

      2. 6.†Intercourse with girl between thirteen and sixteen.

    3. Intercourse with defectives

      1. 7. Intercourse with defective.

      2. 8. Offences, and the Prosecution and Punishment of Offences

      3. 9. Procurement of defective.

    4. Incest

      1. 10. Incest by a man.

      2. 11. Incest by a woman.

    5. Unnatural offences

      1. 12. Buggery.

      2. 13. Indecency between men.

    6. Assaults

      1. 14. Indecent assault on a woman.

      2. 15. Indecent assault on a man.

      3. 16. Assault with intent to commit buggery.

    7. Abduction

      1. 17. Abduction of woman by force or for the sake of her property.

      2. 18. Offences, and the Prosecution and Punishment of Offences

      3. 19. Abduction of unmarried girl under eighteen from parent or guardian.

      4. 20. Abduction of unmarried girl under sixteen from parent or guardian.

      5. 21. Abduction of defective from parent or guardian.

    8. Prostitution, procuration etc.

      1. 22. Causing prostitution of women.

      2. 23. Procuration of girl under twenty-one.

      3. 24. Detention of woman in brothel or other premises.

      4. 25. Permitting girl under thirteen to use premises for intercourse.

      5. 26.†Permitting girl between thirteen and sixteen to use premises for intercourse.

      6. 27. Permitting defective to use premises for intercourse.

      7. 28. Causing or encouraging prostitution of, intercourse with, or indecent assault on, girl under sixteen.

      8. 29. Causing or encouraging prostitution of defective.

      9. 30. Man living on earnings of prostitution.

      10. 31. Woman exercising control over prostitute.

    9. Solicitation

      1. 32. Solicitation by men.

    10. Suppression of brothels

      1. 33. Keeping a brothel.

      2. 33A.Keeping a brothel used for prostitution

      3. 34. Landlord letting premises for use as brothel.

      4. 35. Tenant permitting premises to be used as brothel.

      5. 36. Tenant permitting premises to be used for prostitution.

    11. Powers and procedure for dealing with offenders

      1. 37. Prosecution and punishment of offences.

      2. 38. Offences, and the Prosecution and Punishment of Offences

      3. 39. Offences, and the Prosecution and Punishment of Offences

    12. Powers of arrest and search

      1. 40. Powers of arrest and search

      2. 41.†Power of arrest in cases of trading in prostitution, or of soliciting by men.

      3. 42. Power of search in case of man living on earnings of prostitution.

      4. 43. Power to search for and remove woman detained for immoral purposes.

    13. Interpretation

      1. 44. Meaning of “sexual intercourse”.

      2. 45. Meaning of “defective”.

      3. 46. Use of words “man”, “boy”, “woman” and “girl”.

      4. 46A. Meaning of parental responsibility.

      5. 47. Proof of exceptions.

  3. Part II Supplementary

    1. Consequential amendments

      1. 48. Amendments of Acts not consolidated.

      2. 49.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      3. 50. Adaptation of enactments applying to Northern Ireland.

      4. 51.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      5. 52. Savings, etc.

      6. 53. Construction of references to enactments.

      7. 54. Extent.

      8. 55. Short title.

      9. 56. Commencement.

  4. SCHEDULES

    1. FIRST SCHEDULE

      Rights of Landlord where Tenant convicted of

      1. permitting use of premises as Brothel

        1. 1.Upon the conviction of the tenant or occupier (in this...

        2. 2.If the tenant fails to do so within three months,...

        3. 3.Where the lease or contract is determined under this Schedule,...

        4. 4.The approval of the lessor or landlord for the purposes...

        5. 5.This Schedule shall have effect subject to the Rent and...

    2. SECOND SCHEDULE

      Table of offences, with mode of prosecution, punishments, etc.

      1. Part I Felonies and attempts of felonies

      2. Part II Offences other than felonies and attempts at felonies

    3. Third Schedule

      Consequential Amendments of Enactments not Consolidated.

    4. SCHEDULE 4

      1. . . . . . . . . . ....

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