Customs and Excise Management Act 1979

[F1146A Time limits for proceedings.U.K.

(1)Except as otherwise provided in the customs and excise Acts, and notwithstanding anything in any other enactment, the following provisions shall apply in relation to proceedings for an offence under those Acts.

(2)Proceedings for an indictable offence shall not be commenced after the end of the period of 20 years beginning with the day on which the offence was committed.

(3)Proceedings for a summary offence shall not be commenced after the end of the period of 3 years beginning with that day but, subject to that, may be commenced at any time within 6 months from the date on which sufficient evidence to warrant the proceedings came to the knowledge of the prosecuting authority.

(4)For the purposes of subsection (3) above, a certificate of the prosecuting authority as to the date on which such evidence as is there mentioned came to that authority’s knowledge shall be conclusive evidence of that fact.

(5)In the application of this section to Scotland—

(a)in subsection (2), “proceedings for an indictable offence” means proceedings on indictment;

(b)in subsection (3), “proceedings for a summary offence” means summary proceedings.

(6)In the application of this section to Northern Ireland—

(a)indictable offence” means an offence which, if committed by an adult, is punishable on conviction on indictment (whether only on conviction on indictment, or either on conviction on indictment or on summary conviction);

(b)summary offence” means an offence which, if committed by an adult, is punishable only on summary conviction.

(7)In this section, “prosecution authority

[F2(a)in England and Wales, means [F3the Director of Public Prosecutions],

(b)in Scotland, means the Commissioners or the procurator fiscal, and

(c)in Northern Ireland, means the Commissioners.]]

Textual Amendments

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C9Ss. 145-148 applied (31.3.2002) by S.I. 2002/868, reg. 4(4)

C10Ss. 144-148, 150-155 applied (01.01.1992) by S.I. 1991/2724, reg. 10(2)

Ss. 144-148, 150-155 applied (01.01.1992) by S.I. 1991/2725, reg. 6(2)

C11Ss. 144-148, 150-155 applied (01.01.1992) by S.I. 1991/2727, reg. 7(2)

C12Ss. 145-152 extended (27.9.1993) by 1993 c. 36, ss. 71(7), 78.

C13Ss. 144-148, 150-155 applied (23.6.1993) by S.I. 1993/1353, reg. 4(2)

C14Ss. 145-155 applied (3.5.1994) by 1994 c. 9, s. 64, Sch. 7 Pt. IV para. 11

Ss. 145-155 applied (with modifications) (1.9.1994) by 1994 c. 23, ss. 72(12), 101(1), Sch. 13 para. 13

Ss. 145-155 applied (29.4.1996) by 1996 c. 8, s. 60, Sch. 5 Pt. III para. 17

C15S. 146A excluded (1.9.1994) by 1994 c. 22, ss. 47(7), 66(1) (with s. 57(4))

C16Ss. 145-148 applied (1.3.1995) by S.I. 1995/271, reg. 12(2)(3)

Ss. 145-148 applied (15.11.1996) by S.I. 1996/2721, reg. 12(2)

Ss. 145-148 applied (with modifications) (15.7.1998) by S.I. 1998/1531, reg. 4(4)

Ss. 145-148 applied (1.5.1999) by S.I. 1999/1261, reg. 4(4)

Ss. 145-148 applied (14.10.1999) by S.I. 1999/2821, reg. 4(4)

Ss. 145-148 applied (25.5.2000) by S.I. 2000/1408, reg. 3(4)

Ss. 145-155 applied (28.7.2000) by 2000 c. 17, s. 30(1), Sch. 6 Pt. VIII para. 96

Ss. 145-148 applied (28.9.2000) by S.I. 2000/2620, reg. 12(2)

Ss. 145-148 applied (14.10.1999) by S.I. 1999/2822, reg. 4(4)

Ss. 145-155 applied (11.5.2001) by 2001 c. 9, s. 26(5)

Ss. 145-155 applied (11.5.2001) by 2001 c. 9, s. 28, Sch. 6 para. 5

C26Ss. 146-148 applied (6.4.2009) by The Export Control Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/3231), arts. 1, 41(4)

C27Ss. 145-148 applied by 1983 c. 18, s. 1D(3) (as inserted (30.11.2009) by Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 (c. 4), s. 153(7), Sch. 17 para. 3; S.I. 2009/3074, art. 2(q))

C28S. 146A applied by SI 2009/1749, art. 13(3) (as substituted (11.12.2009) by The North Korea (United Nations Sanctions) (Amendment) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/3213), arts. 1(1), 11)

C30Ss. 146, 146A applied by S.I. 2009/886, art. 11(3) (as substituted (17.12.2010) by The Iran (United Nations Sanctions) (Amendment) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/2978), arts. 1(1), 15)