Crime and Policing Act 2026

Prospective

145 Aggravated offences U.K.

(1) The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 is amended as follows.

(2) For section 28 substitute—

“28 Meaning of “aggravated”

(1) For the purposes of sections 29 to 32 an offence is aggravated if it is aggravated by—

(a) racial hostility,

(b) religious hostility,

(c) hostility related to disability,

(d) hostility related to sexual orientation, or

(e) hostility related to transgender identity.

(2) For the purposes of the following provisions an offence is aggravated if it is aggravated by hostility related to sex—

(a) section 29,

(b) section 30,

(c) section 31(1)(a) and (c), and

(d) section 32.

(3) An offence is aggravated by hostility of one of the kinds mentioned in subsection (1) if—

(a) at the time of committing the offence, or immediately before or after doing so, the offender demonstrates towards the victim of the offence hostility based on—

(i) the victim’s membership (or presumed membership) of a racial group,

(ii) the victim’s membership (or presumed membership) of a religious group,

(iii) a disability (or presumed disability) of the victim,

(iv) the sexual orientation (or presumed sexual orientation) of the victim, or (as the case may be)

(v) the victim being (or being presumed to be) transgender, or

(b) the offence is motivated (wholly or partly) by—

(i) hostility towards members of a racial group based on their membership of that group,

(ii) hostility towards members of a religious group based on their membership of that group,

(iii) hostility towards persons who have a disability or a particular disability,

(iv) hostility towards persons who are of a particular sexual orientation, or (as the case may be)

(v) hostility towards persons who are transgender.

(4) An offence is aggravated by hostility related to sex if—

(a) at the time of committing the offence, or immediately before or after doing so, the offender demonstrates towards the victim of the offence hostility based on the sex (or presumed sex) of the victim, or

(b) the offence is motivated (wholly or partly) by hostility towards persons who are of a particular sex.

(5) For the purposes of subsections (3) and (4), it is immaterial whether or not the offender’s hostility is also based, to any extent, on any other factor not mentioned in that subsection.

(6) In this section—

(a) references to a racial group are to a group of persons defined by reference to race, colour, nationality (including citizenship) or ethnic or national origins;

(b) references to a religious group are to a group of persons defined by reference to religious belief or lack of religious belief;

(c) “membership” in relation to a racial or religious group, includes association with members of that group;

(d) “disability” means any physical or mental impairment;

(e) references to being transgender include references to being transsexual, or undergoing, proposing to undergo or having undergone a process or part of a process of gender reassignment;

(f) “presumed” means presumed by the offender.”

(3) In the italic heading before section 28, for “Racially or religiously aggravated offences” substitute “Offences aggravated by racial or other hostility”.

(4) In section 29 (aggravated assaults)—

(a) in the heading for “Racially or religiously aggravated” substitute “Aggravated”;

(b) in subsection (1) for “racially or religiously aggravated for the purposes of this section” substitute “aggravated (see section 28(1) and (2))”.

(5) In section 30 (aggravated criminal damage)—

(a) in the heading for “Racially or religiously aggravated” substitute “Aggravated”;

(b) in subsection (1) for “racially or religiously aggravated for the purposes of this section” substitute “aggravated (see section 28(1) and (2))”;

(c) in subsection (3) for “28(1)(a)” substitute “28(3)(a) and (4)(a)”.

(6) In section 31 (aggravated public order offences)—

(a) in the heading for “Racially or religiously aggravated” substitute “Aggravated”;

(b) in subsection (1) for “racially or religiously aggravated for the purposes of this section” substitute “aggravated (see section 28(1) and (2))”;

(c) in subsection (7) for “28(1)(a)” substitute “28(3)(a) and (4)(a)”.

(7) In section 32 (aggravated harassment)—

(a) in the heading for “Racially or religiously aggravated” substitute “Aggravated”;

(b) in subsection (1) for “racially or religiously aggravated for the purposes of this section” substitute “aggravated (see section 28(1) and (2))”.

(8) In section 66 of the Sentencing Code (hostility as aggravating factor in sentencing)—

(a) in subsection (1), after “subsection (3)” insert “and subsection (3A)”;

(b) after subsection (3) insert—

“(3A) So far as it relates to hostility related to disability, sexual orientation and transgender identity, this section does not apply in relation to an offence under sections 29 to 32 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 committed on or after the day on which section 145(2) of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 comes into force.”

(9) In the Armed Forces Act 2006, for sections 240 and 241 substitute—

“240 Increase in sentence for offences aggravated by hostility

(1) This section applies where a court or officer dealing with an offender for a service offence (other than an offence mentioned in subsection (7)) is considering the seriousness of the offence.

(2) If the offence is aggravated by hostility of one of the kinds mentioned in subsection (3) the court or officer—

(a) must treat that fact as an aggravating factor, and

(b) must state in open court that the offence is so aggravated.

(3) The kinds of hostility are—

(a) racial hostility,

(b) religious hostility,

(c) hostility related to disability,

(d) hostility related to sexual orientation, or

(e) hostility related to transgender identity.

(4) An offence is aggravated by hostility of one of the kinds mentioned in subsection (3) if—

(a) at the time of committing the offence, or immediately before or after doing so, the offender demonstrates towards the victim of the offence hostility based on—

(i) the victim’s membership (or presumed membership) of a racial group,

(ii) the victim’s membership (or presumed membership) of a religious group,

(iii) a disability (or presumed disability) of the victim,

(iv) the sexual orientation (or presumed sexual orientation) of the victim, or (as the case may be)

(v) the victim being (or being presumed to be) transgender, or

(b) the offence is motivated (wholly or partly) by—

(i) hostility towards members of a racial group based on their membership of that group,

(ii) hostility towards members of a religious group based on their membership of that group,

(iii) hostility towards persons who have a disability or a particular disability,

(iv) hostility towards persons who are of a particular sexual orientation, or (as the case may be)

(v) hostility towards persons who are transgender.

(5) It is immaterial whether or not the offender’s hostility is also based, to any extent, on any other factor not mentioned in subsection (4).

(6) In this section—

(a) references to a racial group are to a group of persons defined by reference to race, colour, nationality (including citizenship) or ethnic or national origins;

(b) references to a religious group are to a group of persons defined by reference to religious belief or lack of religious belief;

(c) “membership” in relation to a racial or religious group, includes association with members of that group;

(d) “disability” means any physical or mental impairment;

(e) references to being transgender include references to being transsexual, or undergoing, proposing to undergo or having undergone a process or part of a process of gender reassignment;

(f) “presumed” means presumed by the offender.

(7) This section does not apply in relation to an offence under section 42 as respects which the corresponding offence under the law of England and Wales is an offence under any of sections 29 to 32 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (offences aggravated by racial and other hostility).”

Commencement Information

I1 S. 145 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 255(1)