Foreword |
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vii | |
Introduction |
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xv | |
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xvii | |
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xix | |
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xxiii | |
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xxxi | |
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Table of Statutory Instruments |
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xli | |
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Table of Conventions, etc |
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xiv | |
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xlvii | |
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1 Offences Involving Misuse of Computers |
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1 | (52) |
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1.1 Background to the Computer Misuse Act 1990 |
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1 | (2) |
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1.2 Section 1 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990 -- unauthorised access to computers |
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3 | (10) |
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1.2.1 Procedure and sentencing |
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4 | (1) |
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1.2.2 Elements of the offence |
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5 | (2) |
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1.2.3 Meaning of `unauthorised access' |
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7 | (4) |
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1.2.4 Offending behaviour within the scope of section 1 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990 |
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11 | (2) |
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1.3 Section 2 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990 -- unauthorised access with intent to commit or facilitate further offences |
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13 | (4) |
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1.3.1 Procedure and sentencing |
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14 | (1) |
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1.3.2 Elements of the offence |
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15 | (1) |
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1.3.3 Comparison with the law of criminal attempts |
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16 | (1) |
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1.3.4 Offending behaviour within the scope of section 2 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990 |
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17 | (1) |
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1.4 Section 3 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990 -- unauthorised acts with intent to impair, or recklessness as to the impairment of, a computer |
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17 | (14) |
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1.4.1 Procedure and sentencing |
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20 | (6) |
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1.4.2 Elements of the offence |
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26 | (3) |
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1.4.3 Offending behaviour within the scope of section 3 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990 or criminal damage |
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29 | (2) |
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1.5 Types of computer misuse and charges under the Computer Misuse Act 1990 |
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31 | (8) |
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1.5.1 Alteration or deletion of data |
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31 | (1) |
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1.5.2 Denial of Service attacks |
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31 | (2) |
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33 | (1) |
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34 | (1) |
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34 | (1) |
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35 | (1) |
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35 | (1) |
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36 | (1) |
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36 | (1) |
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37 | (1) |
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1.5.7 Using phishing, pharming and Trojan Horses to harvest information for use in fraud |
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38 | (1) |
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1.6 Section 3ZA of the Computer Misuse Act 1990 -- unauthorised acts causing, or creating risk of, serious damage |
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39 | (3) |
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1.6.1 Procedure and sentencing |
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41 | (1) |
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1.6.2 Elements of the offences |
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41 | (1) |
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1.7 Section 3 A of the Computer Misuse Act 1990 -- making, supplying or obtaining articles for use in offences under section 1 or section 3 |
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42 | (5) |
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1.7.1 Procedure and sentencing |
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43 | (1) |
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1.7.2 Elements of the offences |
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44 | (3) |
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1.7.3 Nature of the article |
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47 | (1) |
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1.8 Meaning of `computer' with regard to offences under the Computer Misuse Act 1990 |
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47 | (2) |
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1.9 Jurisdictional issues for offences under the Computer Misuse Act 1990 |
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49 | (4) |
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2 Offences Involving Data Protection |
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53 | (18) |
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53 | (1) |
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2.2 Section 170 of the Data Protection Act 2018 -- unlawful obtaining or disclosure of personal data |
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54 | (10) |
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2.2.1 Elements of the offence |
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55 | (2) |
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2.2.2 Procedure and sentencing |
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57 | (1) |
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58 | (2) |
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2.2.4 Personal data and computer misuse |
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60 | (1) |
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2.2.5 Section 171: re-identification of de-identified personal data |
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60 | (3) |
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2.2.6 Section 173: alteration, etc. of personal data to prevent disclosure to data subject |
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63 | (1) |
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2.3 Access and disclosure of personal data |
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64 | (2) |
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2.3.1 Section 184: prohibition of requirement to produce relevant records |
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64 | (2) |
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2.3.2 Section 119: obstructing the Information Commissioner |
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66 | (1) |
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2.4 Investigatory offences |
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66 | (5) |
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2.4.1 Schedule 15, paragraph 15 to the DPA 2018: powers of entry and inspection |
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66 | (1) |
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2.4.2 Section 144: false statement made in response to an information notice |
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67 | (1) |
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2.4.3 Section 148 of the DPA 2018: destroying or falsifying information and documents |
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68 | (1) |
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2.4.4 Section 132: prohibition placed upon the Information Commissioner and staff |
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68 | (3) |
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3 Offences Relating to Property |
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71 | (22) |
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3.1 Theft under the Theft Act 1968 |
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71 | (4) |
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3.1.1 Procedure and sentencing |
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71 | (1) |
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3.1.2 Elements of the offence |
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72 | (1) |
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3.1.3 Intangible property |
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72 | (1) |
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3.1.4 Virtual property and digital currency |
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73 | (1) |
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3.1.5 Confidential information and industrial espionage |
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74 | (1) |
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3.2 Intellectual property theft -- infringement of copyright under section 107 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 |
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75 | (18) |
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3.2.1 Criminal liability for infringement of copyright |
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77 | (2) |
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3.2.2 Procedure and sentencing |
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79 | (1) |
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3.2.3 Elements of the offence |
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79 | (3) |
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3.2.4 File sharing over the internet |
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82 | (1) |
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83 | (1) |
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3.2.4.2 Downloading/uploading using a host website |
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84 | (1) |
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3.2.4.3 Criminal liability for streaming and direct downloading |
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85 | (1) |
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3.2.4.4 Peer-to-peer file sharing |
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85 | (8) |
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4 Offences Involving Communications |
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93 | (44) |
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93 | (1) |
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4.2 Section 127 of the Communications Act 2003 -- improper use of public electronic communications network |
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93 | (10) |
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4.2.1 Procedure and sentencing |
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94 | (2) |
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4.2.2 Elements of the offence |
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96 | (1) |
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4.2.3 Grossly offensive, menacing, etc. character of the communication |
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97 | (4) |
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4.2.4 Public electronic communications network |
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101 | (2) |
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4.3 Section 1 of the Malicious Communications Act 1988 -- sending letters, etc. with intent to cause distress or anxiety |
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103 | (4) |
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4.3.1 Procedure and sentencing |
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105 | (1) |
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4.3.2 Elements of the offence |
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105 | (2) |
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4.4 Applicability of section 127 of the Communications Act 2003 and section 1 of the Malicious Communications Act 1988 to computer communications |
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107 | (8) |
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4.4.1 Internet communications, social media and trolling |
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107 | (3) |
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4.4.2 Director of Public Prosecutions' guidelines regarding internet communications |
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110 | (5) |
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4.5 Unlawful interception of communications |
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115 | (22) |
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4.5.1 Fundamentals of interception |
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116 | (5) |
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4.5.2 Procedure and sentencing |
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121 | (1) |
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4.5.3 Monetary penalties for unintentional interception |
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122 | (2) |
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4.5.4 Elements of the offence |
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124 | (6) |
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4.5.5 Period of transmission and `hacking' of -- communications |
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130 | (3) |
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4.5.6 Business practices and interception |
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133 | (3) |
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4.5.7 Unlawful interception, equipment interference or computer misuse |
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136 | (1) |
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5 Offences Relating to Internet or Computer Content |
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137 | (46) |
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137 | (1) |
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5.2 Section 1 of the Protection of Children Act 1978 and section 160 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 -- making, possession, publication and distribution of indecent images of children |
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138 | (20) |
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5.2.1 Procedure and sentencing |
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140 | (4) |
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5.2.2 Elements of the offences |
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144 | (4) |
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5.2.3 Downloading indecent images of children/child-abuse images |
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148 | (3) |
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5.2.4 Possession of indecent images of children/child-abuse images in electronic format |
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151 | (4) |
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5.2.5 Sexual Harm Prevention Orders |
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155 | (3) |
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5.3 Section 62 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 and section 63 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 -- possession of prohibited images of children and possession of extreme pornographic images |
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158 | (1) |
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5.4 Section 2 of the Obscene Publications Act 1959 -- publishing an obscene article or having an obscene article for gain |
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159 | (15) |
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5.4.1 Procedure and sentencing |
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161 | (3) |
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5.4.2 Elements of the offence |
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164 | (2) |
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5.4.3 Refinement of the test for obscenity |
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166 | (1) |
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5.4.4 Obscenity and publications over the internet |
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167 | (4) |
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5.4.5 Jurisdiction in which internet publications take place |
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171 | (2) |
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5.4.6 Obscenity and communications via the internet |
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173 | (1) |
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5.5 Section 53 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 -- ancillary offence of failing to disclose access to computers |
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174 | (9) |
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5.5.1 Procedure and sentencing |
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177 | (2) |
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5.5.2 Computers and disclosure notices |
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179 | (4) |
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6 Cyber Harassment and Cyber Stalking |
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183 | (18) |
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6.1 Offences Against the Person |
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183 | (1) |
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6.2 Sections 2 and 2A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 -- harassment and stalking |
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183 | (18) |
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6.2.1 Procedure and sentencing |
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187 | (2) |
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6.2.2 Elements of the offence |
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189 | (3) |
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6.2.3 Harassment and stalking |
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192 | (1) |
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6.2.4 `Cyber harassment' and `cyber stalking' |
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193 | (8) |
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7 Contempt of Court, the Internet and Court Reporting |
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201 | (14) |
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7.1 Criminal contempt of court |
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201 | (14) |
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7.1.1 Elements of the offence |
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202 | (1) |
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7.1.2 Sentencing of contempts of court |
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203 | (1) |
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7.1.3 Open justice and reporting of proceedings over the internet |
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204 | (4) |
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7.1.4 Juries and internet misuse |
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208 | (7) |
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8 Criminal Evidence and Computer Technology |
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215 | (32) |
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8.1 General background to the rules of criminal evidence |
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215 | (12) |
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8.1.1 Default position on admissibility |
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215 | (1) |
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8.1.2 Stay of proceedings |
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216 | (4) |
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8.1.3 Exclusion of evidence in course of proceedings |
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220 | (1) |
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8.1.4 Discretion to exclude evidence at common law |
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220 | (3) |
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8.1.5 Statutory discretion to exclude evidence under section 78 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 |
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223 | (4) |
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8.2 Hearsay and computer-derived evidence |
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227 | (15) |
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8.2.1 Prohibition against hearsay and admissible hearsay |
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227 | (5) |
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8.2.2 Hearsay and computer evidence |
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232 | (9) |
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8.2.3 Section 117: business and other documents |
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241 | (1) |
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8.3 Police powers of seizure of computer evidence |
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242 | (5) |
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A1 Criminal Procedure Rules 2015 |
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247 | (2) |
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A2 New Social Media Guidelines CPS |
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249 | (18) |
Index |
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267 | |