Criminal Justice Act 1972

66 Citation, interpretation, commencement and extent

(1) This Act may be cited as the Criminal Justice Act 1972.

(2) In this Act " court" does not include a court-martial; " sentence of imprisonment" does not include a committal in default of payment of any sum of money, or for want of sufficient distress to satisfy any sum of money, or for failure to do or abstain from doing anything required to be done or left undone or a committal or attachment for contempt of court, and " sentence to imprisonment" shall be construed accordingly.

(3) References in this Act to an offence punishable with imprisonment, or so punishable on indictment, shall be construed without regard to any prohibition or restriction imposed by or under any other Act on the imprisonment of young offenders.

(4) For the purposes of this Act a compensation order, supervision order or community service order made on appeal from a decision of a magistrates' court or the Crown Court shall be treated as if it had been made by a magistrates' court or the Crown Court, as the case may be.

(5) Except where the context otherwise requires, any reference in this Act to any enactment shall be construed as a reference to that enactment as amended, and as including a reference thereto as extended or applied, by or under any other enactment, including this Act.

(6) This Act shall come into force on such day as the Secretary of State may appoint by order made by statutory instrument, and different days may be so appointed for different provisions:

Provided that—

(a) sections 28, 30, 31 and 32 shall not affect the punishment for an offence completed before those sections come into force; and

(b) neither section 36 nor the corresponding section referred to in section 63(3) shall come into force until provision has been made by rules of court with a view to preventing or restricting the disclosure of the identity of the acquitted person in references under that section.

(7) In this Act—

(a) sections 23, 24, 28, 29, 30, 33, 35, 51 and this section, section 31 so far as it relates to section 67(5) of the [1950 c. 28.] Shops Act 1950, section 64(1) and Schedule 5 so far as they relate to the [1972 c. 20.] Road Traffic Act 1972 and section 64(2) and Schedule 6 so far as they relate to the [1908 c. 65.] Summary Jurisdiction (Scotland) Act 1908 and the [1968 c. 27.] Firearms Act 1968, extend to Scotland ;

(b) section 63 and this section extend to Northern Ireland;

(c) section 64(1) and Schedule 5 so far as they relate to the [1851 c. 39.] Petty Sessions (Ireland) Act 1851 extend to Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man;

but, save as aforesaid, this Act extends to England and Wales only.