- Latest available (Revised)
- Point in Time (01/01/1996)
- Original (As enacted)
Point in time view as at 01/01/1996.
Public Order Act 1986, Section 38 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 19 August 2024. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.
Changes and effects yet to be applied by the editorial team are only applicable when viewing the latest version or prospective version of legislation. They are therefore not accessible when viewing legislation as at a specific point in time. To view the ‘Changes to Legislation’ information for this provision return to the latest version view using the options provided in the ‘What Version’ box above.
(1)It is an offence for a person, with the intention—
(a)of causing public alarm or anxiety, or
(b)of causing injury to members of the public consuming or using the goods, or
(c)of causing economic loss to any person by reason of the goods being shunned by members of the public, or
(d)of causing economic loss to any person by reason of steps taken to avoid any such alarm or anxiety, injury or loss,
to contaminate or interfere with goods, or make it appear that goods have been contaminated or interfered with, or to place goods which have been contaminated or interfered with, or which appear to have been contaminated or interfered with, in a place where goods of that description are consumed, used, sold or otherwise supplied.
(2)It is also an offence for a person, with any such intention as is mentioned in paragraph (a), (c)or (d) of subsection (1), to threaten that he or another will do, or to claim that he or another has done, any of the acts mentioned in that subsection.
(3)It is an offence for a person to be in possession of any of the following articles with a view to the commission of an offence under subsection (1)—
(a)materials to be used for contaminating or interfering with goods or making it appear that goods have been contaminated or interfered with, or
(b)goods which have been contaminated or interfered with, or which appear to have been contaminated or interfered with.
(4)A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable—
(a)on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years or a fine or both, or
(b)on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or both.
(5)In this section “goods” includes substances whether natural or manufactured and whether or not incorporated in or mixed with other goods.
(6)The reference in subsection (2) to a person claiming that certain acts have been committed does not include a person who in good faith reports or warns that such acts have been, or appear to have been, committed.
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.
Point in Time: This becomes available after navigating to view revised legislation as it stood at a certain point in time via Advanced Features > Show Timeline of Changes or via a point in time advanced search.
Geographical Extent: Indicates the geographical area that this provision applies to. For further information see ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.
Show Timeline of Changes: See how this legislation has or could change over time. Turning this feature on will show extra navigation options to go to these specific points in time. Return to the latest available version by using the controls above in the What Version box.
Access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item from this tab. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:
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.
Use this menu to access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:
Click 'View More' or select 'More Resources' tab for additional information including: