Search Legislation

Theft Act 1968

Changes to legislation:

Theft Act 1968 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 08 October 2024. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Help about Changes to Legislation

Close

Changes to Legislation

Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. Changes and effects are recorded by our editorial team in lists which can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area. Where those effects have yet to be applied to the text of the legislation by the editorial team they are also listed alongside the affected provisions when you open the content using the Table of Contents below.

View outstanding changes

Changes and effects yet to be applied to :

  1. Introductory Text

  2. Definition of “theft”

    1. 1. Basic definition of theft.

    2. 2.“Dishonestly”

    3. 3.“Appropriates”.

    4. 4.“Property”.

    5. 5.“Belonging to another”.

    6. 6.“With the intention of permanently depriving the other of it”.

  3. Theft, robbery, burglary, etc.

    1. 7. Theft.

    2. 8. Robbery.

    3. 9. Burglary.

    4. 10. Aggravated burglary.

    5. 11. Removal of articles from places open to the public.

    6. 12. Taking motor vehicle or other conveyance without authority.

    7. 12A. Aggravated vehicle-taking.

    8. 13. Abstracting of electricity.

    9. 14. Extension to thefts from mails outside England and Wales, and robbery etc. on such a theft.

  4. Fraud and blackmail

    1. 15. Obtaining property by deception.

    2. 15A. Obtaining a money transfer by deception.

    3. 15B. Section 15A: supplementary.

    4. 16. Obtaining pecuniary advantage by deception.

    5. 17. False accounting.

    6. 18. Liability of company officers for certain offences by company.

    7. 19. False statements by company directors, etc.

    8. 20. Suppression, etc. of documents.

    9. 21. Blackmail.

  5. Offences relating to goods stolen etc.

    1. 22. Handling stolen goods.

    2. 23. Advertising rewards for return of goods stolen or lost.

    3. 24. Scope of offences relating to stolen goods.

    4. 24A. Dishonestly retaining a wrongful credit.

  6. Possession of housebreaking implements, etc.

    1. 25. Going equipped for stealing, etc.

  7. Enforcement and procedure

    1. 26. Search for stolen goods.

    2. 27. Evidence and procedure on charge of theft or handling stolen goods.

    3. 28. Orders for restitution.

    4. 29. Jurisdiction of quarter sessions, and summary trial.

  8. General and consequential provisions

    1. 30.Spouses and civil partners

    2. 31. Effect on civil proceedings and rights.

    3. 32. Effect on existing law and construction of references to offences.

    4. 33. Miscellaneous and consequential amendments, and repeal.

  9. Supplementary

    1. 34. Interpretation.

    2. 35. Commencement and transitional provisions.

    3. 36. Short title, and general provisions as to Scotland and Northern Ireland.

  10. SCHEDULES

    1. SCHEDULE 1

      Offences of Taking, etc. Deer or Fish

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

      2. 2.Taking or destroying fish

    2. SCHEDULE 2

      Miscellaneous and Consequential Amendments

      1. Part I

        1. 1.The Post Office Act 1953 shall have effect subject to...

        2. 2.Sections 22 and 23 shall be amended by substituting for...

        3. 3.In section 52, as it applies outside England and Wales,...

        4. 4.In section 53 for the words from “be guilty” onwards...

        5. 5.In section 54, as it applies outside England and Wales,—...

        6. 6.In sections 55 and 58(1), after the word “imprisonment”, there...

        7. 7.In section 57— (a) there shall be omitted the words...

        8. 8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

        9. 9.Section 69(2) shall be omitted.

        10. 10.For section 70 there shall be substituted the following section—...

        11. 11.In section 72 there shall be added as a new...

        12. 12.In section 87(1), the definition of “valuable security” shall be...

      2. PART II Other amendments extending beyond England and Wales

      3. PART III Amendments limited to England and Wales

    3. SCHEDULE 3

      Repeals

      1. Part I Penal Enactments superseded by this Act

      2. Part II Obsolete and Redundant Enactments

      3. Part III Consequential Repeals

Back to top

Options/Help

Print Options

Close

Legislation is available in different versions:

Latest Available (revised):The latest available updated version of the legislation incorporating changes made by subsequent legislation and applied by our editorial team. Changes we have not yet applied to the text, can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area.

Original (As Enacted or Made): The original version of the legislation as it stood when it was enacted or made. No changes have been applied to the text.

Close

Opening Options

Different options to open legislation in order to view more content on screen at once

Close

More Resources

Access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item from this tab. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:

  • the original print PDF of the as enacted version that was used for the print copy
  • lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
  • confers power and blanket amendment details
  • all formats of all associated documents
  • correction slips
  • links to related legislation and further information resources
Close

Timeline of Changes

This timeline shows the different points in time where a change occurred. The dates will coincide with the earliest date on which the change (e.g an insertion, a repeal or a substitution) that was applied came into force. The first date in the timeline will usually be the earliest date when the provision came into force. In some cases the first date is 01/02/1991 (or for Northern Ireland legislation 01/01/2006). This date is our basedate. No versions before this date are available. For further information see the Editorial Practice Guide and Glossary under Help.

Close

More Resources

Use this menu to access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:

  • the original print PDF of the as enacted version that was used for the print copy
  • correction slips

Click 'View More' or select 'More Resources' tab for additional information including:

  • lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
  • confers power and blanket amendment details
  • all formats of all associated documents
  • links to related legislation and further information resources