Protection of Freedoms Act 2012

18 Interpretation and minor amendments of PACE

(1) The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 is amended as follows.

(2) In section 65(1) (interpretation of Part 5)—

(a) after the definition of “appropriate consent” insert—

• ““DNA profile” means any information derived from a DNA sample;

• “DNA sample” means any material that has come from a human body and consists of or includes human cells;”,

(b) after the definition of “registered health care professional” insert—

• ““the responsible chief officer of police”, in relation to material to which section 63D or 63R applies, means the chief officer of police for the police area—

  (a)

  in which the material concerned was taken, or

  (b)

  in the case of a DNA profile, in which the sample from which the DNA profile was derived was taken;

• “section 63D material” means fingerprints or DNA profiles to which section 63D applies;”, and

(c) after the definition of “terrorism” insert—

• ““terrorist investigation” has the meaning given by section 32 of that Act;”.

(3) After section 65(2) (meaning of references to a sample’s proving insufficient) insert—

“(2A) In subsection (2), the reference to the destruction of a sample does not include a reference to the destruction of a sample under section 63R (requirement to destroy samples).

(2B) Any reference in sections 63F, 63H, 63P or 63U to a person being charged with an offence includes a reference to a person being informed that the person will be reported for an offence.”

(4) In section 65A(2) (list of “qualifying offences” for purposes of Part 5), in paragraph (j) (offences under the Theft Act 1968), for “section 9” substitute “section 8, 9”.

(5) After section 65A insert—

“65B Persons convicted of an offence”

(1) For the purposes of this Part, any reference to a person who is convicted of an offence includes a reference to—

(a) a person who has been given a caution in respect of the offence which, at the time of the caution, the person has admitted,

(b) a person who has been warned or reprimanded under section 65 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 for the offence,

(c) a person who has been found not guilty of the offence by reason of insanity, or

(d) a person who has been found to be under a disability and to have done the act charged in respect of the offence.

(2) This Part, so far as it relates to persons convicted of an offence, has effect despite anything in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

(3) But a person is not to be treated as having been convicted of an offence if that conviction is a disregarded conviction or caution by virtue of section 92 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012.

(4) If a person is convicted of more than one offence arising out of a single course of action, those convictions are to be treated as a single conviction for the purposes of calculating under sections 63F, 63H and 63N whether the person has been convicted of only one offence.

(5) See also section 65(3) (which deals with findings equivalent to those mentioned in subsection (1)(c) or (d) by courts which exercise jurisdiction under the laws of countries or territories outside England and Wales).”