Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018

2018 CHAPTER 23

An Act to make provision about offences when perpetrated against emergency workers, and persons assisting such workers; to make certain offences aggravated when perpetrated against such workers in the exercise of their duty; and for connected purposes.

[13th September 2018]

Be it enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

Aggravation E+W

1 Common assault and battery E+W

(1) The section applies to an offence of common assault, or battery, that is committed against an emergency worker acting in the exercise of functions as such a worker.

(2) A person guilty of an offence to which this section applies is liable—

(a) on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding [F1 the general limit in a magistrates’ court], or to a fine, or to both;

(b) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding [F2 2 years], or to a fine, or to both.

(3) For the purposes of subsection (1), the circumstances in which an offence is to be taken as committed against a person acting in the exercise of functions as an emergency worker include circumstances where the offence takes place at a time when the person is not at work but is carrying out functions which, if done in work time, would have been in the exercise of functions as an emergency worker.

(4) In relation to an offence committed before [F3 2 May 2022], the reference in subsection (2)(a) to [F4 the general limit in a magistrates’ court] is to be read as a reference to 6 months.

(5) In consequence of subsections (1) to (3), in section 39 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (which provides for common assault and battery to be summary offences punishable with imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months)—

(a) the existing text becomes subsection (1);

(b) after that subsection insert—

“(2) Subsection (1) is subject to section 1 of the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018 (which makes provision for increased sentencing powers for offences of common assault and battery committed against an emergency worker acting in the exercise of functions as such a worker).”

(6) This section applies only in relation to offences committed on or after the day it comes into force.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 1(2)(a) substituted (7.2.2023 at 12.00 p.m.) by The Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022 (Magistrates’ Court Sentencing Powers) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/149), regs. 1(2), 2(1), Sch. Pt. 1

F2 Words in s. 1(2)(b) substituted (28.6.2022) by Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 (c. 32), ss. 2(1), 208(5)(a) (with s. 2(2))

F3 Words in s. 1(4) substituted (28.4.2022) by The Criminal Justice Act 2003 (Commencement No. 33) and Sentencing Act 2020 (Commencement No. 2) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/500), regs. 1(2), 5(1), Sch. Pt. 1

F4 Words in s. 1(4) substituted (7.2.2023 at 12.00 p.m.) by The Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022 (Magistrates’ Court Sentencing Powers) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/149), regs. 1(2), 2(1), Sch. Pt. 1

F5 2 Aggravating factor E+W

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F5 S. 2 repealed (1.12.2020) by Sentencing Act 2020 (c. 17), s. 416(1), Sch. 28 (with ss. 413(4)(5), 416(7), Sch. 27); S.I. 2020/1236, reg. 2

3 Meaning of “emergency worker” E+W

(1) In sections 1 and 2, “emergency worker” means—

(a) a constable;

(b) a person (other than a constable) who has the powers of a constable or is otherwise employed for police purposes or is engaged to provide services for police purposes;

(c) a National Crime Agency officer;

(d) a prison officer;

(e) a person (other than a prison officer) employed or engaged to carry out functions in a custodial institution of a corresponding kind to those carried out by a prison officer;

(f) a prisoner custody officer, so far as relating to the exercise of escort functions;

(g) a custody officer, so far as relating to the exercise of escort functions;

(h) a person employed for the purposes of providing, or engaged to provide, fire services or fire and rescue services;

(i) a person employed for the purposes of providing, or engaged to provide, search services or rescue services (or both);

(j) a person employed for the purposes of providing, or engaged to provide—

(i) NHS health services, or

(ii) services in the support of the provision of NHS health services,

and whose general activities in doing so involve face to face interaction with individuals receiving the services or with other members of the public.

(2) It is immaterial for the purposes of subsection (1) whether the employment or engagement is paid or unpaid.

(3) In this section—

• “custodial institution” means any of the following—

  (a)

  a prison;

  (b)

  a young offender institution, secure training centre, secure college or remand centre;

  (c)

  a removal centre, a short-term holding facility or pre-departure accommodation, as defined by section 147 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999;

  (d)

  services custody premises, as defined by section 300(7) of the Armed Forces Act 2006;

• “custody officer” has the meaning given by section 12(3) of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994;

• “escort functions”—

  (a)

  in the case of a prisoner custody officer, means the functions specified in section 80(1) of the Criminal Justice Act 1991;

  (b)

  in the case of a custody officer, means the functions specified in paragraph 1 of Schedule 1 to the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994;

• “NHS health services” means any kind of health services provided as part of the health service continued under section 1(1) of the National Health Service Act 2006 and under section 1(1) of the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006;

• “prisoner custody officer” has the meaning given by section 89(1) of the Criminal Justice Act 1991.

General E+W

4 Extent, commencement and short title E+W

(1) This Act extends to England and Wales only.

(2) This Act comes into force at the end of the period of two months beginning with the day on which it is passed.

(3) This Act may be cited as the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018.