Sex Offenders Act 1997
| Act of Parliament | |
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| Long title | An Act to require the notification of information to the police by persons who have committed certain sexual offences; to make provision with respect to the commission of certain sexual acts outside the United Kingdom; and for connected purposes. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 1997 c. 51 |
| Territorial extent |
|
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 21 March 1997 |
| Commencement | 1 September 1997[c] |
| Repealed | 1 May 2004[d] |
| Other legislation | |
| Amends | |
| Amended by | |
| Repealed by | Sexual Offences Act 2003 |
Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Revised text of statute as amended | |
The Sex Offenders Act 1997 (c. 51) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which made various sex offenders (defined as anyone who has been convicted of sexual offences) subject to notification requirements, thereby implementing a sex offenders registry. It also gave courts in the UK extraterritorial jurisdiction over a range of sexual offences. The act is sometimes described as the Sexual Offences Act 1997.[1]
The act was part of a collection of legislation concerning sex offenders in part or in whole, including the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997, the Children (Protection from Offenders) Regulation 1997 and Crime and Disorder Act 1998.[2]
Provisions
The act enabled police to obtain Community Protection Orders to require that sex offenders be prohibited be from going to places such as school playgrounds.[3]
All convicted sex offenders became required to [4]
The act required all sex offenders to notify the police of changes to their name, address and other personal details.[5][6][7]
Implementation
The Sex Offenders Register was officially established on 1 September 1997.[8]
Reception
The legislation received the support of the Labour Party in opposition.[6]
Subsequent developments
The whole act was repealed by section 140 of, and schedule 7 to, the Sexual Offences Act 2003, which came into force on 1 May 2004, subject to the saving in section 142(5).[9][10]
The provisions of this act were replaced by part II of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.[11][10]
Notes
References
- ↑ Niven, David (19 December 2014). "We have the legislation to convict British citizens who abuse children abroad – why don't we use it more?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- ↑ Soothill, Keith; Francis, Brian; Sanderson, Barry; Ackerley, Elizabeth (2000). "SEX OFFENDERS: SPECIALISTS, GENERALISTS—OR BOTH? A 32-year Criminological Study". The British Journal of Criminology. 40 (1): 56–67. ISSN 0007-0955.
- ↑ "Playground ban proposed for paedophiles". BBC News. 5 November 1997. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- ↑ Batty, David (18 January 2006). "Q&A: the sex offenders register". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- ↑ Barter-Dawe, Susan J. (2000). Power, H.; Brennan, F.; Edwards, A.; Fionda, J.; Dignan, J. (eds.). "Criminal Justice". The British Journal of Social Work. 30 (3): 383–392. ISSN 0045-3102.
- 1 2 Cobley, Cathy (1997). "Keeping Track of Sex Offenders: Part I of the Sex Offenders Act 1997". The Modern Law Review. 60 (5): 690–699. ISSN 0026-7961.
- ↑ Soothill, Keith; Francis, Brian (September 1998). "Poisoned chalice or just deserts? (The Sex Offenders Act 1997)". The Journal of Forensic Psychiatry. 9 (2): 281–293. doi:10.1080/09585189808402197. ISSN 0958-5184.
- ↑ "Legal clampdown on paedophiles". BBC News. 29 July 1999. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- ↑ "Sexual Offences Act 2003", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 2003 c. 42
- 1 2 Harman, Ryan (30 October 2017). "Sexual Offences Act 1997". Inside Time. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- ↑ Batty, David (24 November 2003). "Q&A: Sex Offences Act". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
External links
- Text of the Sex Offenders Act 1997 as originally enacted or made within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.