List of English criminal offences

This list of English criminal offences is a partial categorization of English criminal law offences.

Offences against property

 * Offences under the Explosive Substances Act 1883
 * Offences under the Computer Misuse Act 1990

Firearms and offensive weapons

 * Offences under section 1(1) of the Prevention of Crime Act 1953
 * Offences under sections 139 and 139A of the Criminal Justice Act 1988
 * Offences under the Knives Act 1997

Forgery, personation and cheating
See forgery: Motor vehicle document offences:
 * Offences under Part I of the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981
 * Falsification of pedigree, contrary to section 183(1)(b) of the Law of Property Act 1925
 * Improper alteration of the registers, contrary to section 124 of the Land Registration Act 2002
 * Offences under section 8 of the Non-Parochial Registers Act 1840
 * Offences under sections 36 and 37 of the Forgery Act 1861
 * Forgery of passport, contrary to section 36 of the Criminal Justice Act 1925
 * Offences under sections 133 and 135 of the County Courts Act 1984
 * Offences under section 13 of the Stamp Duties Management Act 1891; and supplementary offences under sections 14 and 15
 * Offences under section 6 of the Hallmarking Act 1973
 * Offences under section 126 of the Mental Health Act 1983
 * Offences under sections 121 and 122(6) of the Gun Barrel Proof Act 1868
 * Offences under section 97AA and 99(5) of the Transport Act 1968
 * Offences under section 65 of the Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981
 * Offences under section 115 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984
 * Offences under section 173 of the Road Traffic Act 1988
 * Offences under regulations 11(1) to (3) of the Motor Vehicles (E.C. Type Approval) Regulations 1992 (S.I. 1992/3107) made under section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972
 * Offences under section 44 of the Vehicles Excise and Registration Act 1994
 * Offences under regulations 10(1) to (3) the Motor Cycle (E.C. Type Approval) Regulations 1995 (S.I. 1995/1531) made under section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972
 * Offences under section 38 of the Goods Vehicles (Licensing of Operators) Act 1995

See personation:
 * Personation of a juror
 * Offences under section 90(1) of the Police Act 1996
 * Offences under section 30(1) of the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005
 * Offences under section 34 of the Forgery Act 1861
 * Offences under section 24 of the Family Law Reform Act 1969
 * Offences under section 60 of the Representation of the People Act 1983

See cheating:
 * Offences under section 17 of the Gaming Act 1845
 * Offences under section 1 of the Fraudulent Mediums Act 1951

Offences against the state

 * High treason
 * Misprision of treason
 * Compounding treason
 * Treason felony
 * Attempting to injure or alarm the Sovereign, contrary to section 2 of the Treason Act 1842
 * Contempt of the sovereign
 * Trading with the enemy
 * Offences under the Official Secrets Acts 1911 to 1989
 * Offences under the Incitement to Disaffection Act 1934
 * Causing disaffection, contrary to section 91 of the Police Act 1996
 * Causing disaffection, contrary to section 6 of the Ministry of Defence Police Act 1987
 * Incitement to sedition or disaffection or promoting industrial unrest, contrary to section 3 of the Aliens Restriction (Amendment) Act 1919
 * Offences of procuring and assisting desertion under military law
 * Offences relating to terrorism
 * Offences of directing quasi military organizations and wearing uniforms for political purposes under the Public Order Act 1936
 * Piracy iure gentium
 * Piracy with violence, contrary to the Piracy Act 1837
 * Offences under the Slave Trade Act 1824
 * Offences under the Foreign Enlistment Act 1870
 * Offences under the Immigration Act 1971
 * Coinage offences under Part II of the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981
 * Offences relating to public stores under the Public Stores Act 1875
 * Offences relating to military stores under military law
 * Offences against postal and electronic communication services
 * Misconduct in public office
 * Refusal to execute public office
 * Offences of selling public offices under the Sale of Offices Act 1551 and Sale of Offices Act 1809
 * Purchasing the office of clerk of the peace or under-sheriff, contrary to section 27 of the Sheriffs Act 1887
 * Cheating the public revenue
 * Offences under the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979
 * Tax evasion and money laundering offences

See also Offences against military law in the United Kingdom

Harmful or dangerous drugs

 * Offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, the Intoxicating Substances (Supply) Act 1985, the Licensing Act 2003, section 7 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 and other provisions relating to tobacco, and the Drug Trafficking Act 1994.
 * Offences under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016.

Offences against religion and public worship

 * Offences under sections 75 to 77 of the Marriage Act 1949

Offences of disturbing public worship


 * Offences under section 2 of the Ecclesiastical Courts Jurisdiction Act 1860
 * Offences under section 7 of the Burial Laws Amendment Act 1880
 * Offences under section 59 of the Cemeteries Clauses Act 1847
 * Offences under articles 18 and 19 of the Local Authorities' Cemeteries Order 1977 (SI 1977/204)

Offences against the administration of public justice

 * Doing an act tending and intended to pervert the course of public justice - a.k.a. perverting the course of justice, defeating the ends of justice, obstructing the administration of justice
 * Concealing evidence, contrary to section 5(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1967
 * Contempt of court a.k.a. criminal contempt
 * Intimidation, contrary to section 51(1) of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
 * Taking or threatening to take revenge, contrary to section 51(2) of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
 * Perjury, contrary to section 1 of the Perjury Act 1911
 * Perjury, contrary to section 6 of the Piracy Act 1850
 * Offences under sections 2 to 4 of the Perjury Act 1911
 * Making a false statutory declaration, contrary to section 5 of the Perjury Act 1911
 * Offences under section 6 of the Perjury Act 1911
 * Fabrication of false evidence
 * Offences under section 89 of the Criminal Justice Act 1967
 * Offences under 106 of the Magistrates' Courts Act 1980
 * Offences under section 11(1) of the European Communities Act 1972
 * Escape
 * Permitting an escape
 * Assisting a prisoner to escape, contrary to section 39 of the Prison Act 1952
 * Breach of prison/breaking prison
 * Rescue/rescuing a prisoner in custody
 * Harboring an escaped prisoner, contrary to section 22(2) of the Prison Act 1952
 * Taking part in a prison mutiny, contrary to section 1(1) of the Prison Security Act 1992
 * Offences under section 128 of the Mental Health Act 1983
 * Causing a wasteful employment of the police, contrary to section 5(2) of the Criminal Law Act 1967
 * Administering an unlawful oath, contrary to section 13 of the Statutory Declarations Act 1835

Public order offences

 * Offences under the Public Order Act 1986
 * Offences under section 31 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998
 * Offences under Part V of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
 * Offences under Part II of the Criminal Law Act 1977
 * Offences under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977
 * Bomb hoaxes, contrary to section 51 of the Criminal Law Act 1977

Offences against public morals and public policy

 * Bigamy, contrary to section 57 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861


 * Offences under section 2(1) of the Obscene Publications Act 1959
 * Offences under section 2(2) of the Theatres Act 1968
 * Certain offences under the Postal Services Act 2000
 * Offences under section 1(1) of the Indecent Displays (Control) Act 1981
 * Offences under section 1(1) of the Protection of Children Act 1978
 * Offences under section 160 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988
 * Offences under section 170 of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 consisting of importation in breach of the prohibition under section 42 of the Customs Consolidation Act 1876 (39 & 40 Vict. c. 36)
 * Offences under the Bribery Act 2010

Protection of children and vulnerable adults

 * Child sexual exploitation
 * Child trafficking
 * Protection of Children Act 1978
 * Offenses under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006

Protection of animals and the environment
See Cruelty to animals and Environmental crime


 * Offenses under the Animal Welfare Act 2006
 * Mutilation
 * Docking (animal)
 * Animal fighting

Participatory and inchoate offences

 * Encouraging or assisting crime - Part 2 of the Serious Crime Act 2007
 * Soliciting to murder, contrary to section 4 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861
 * Aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring the commission of an offence
 * Conspiracy, contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977
 * Conspiracy to defraud
 * Conspiracy to corrupt public morals
 * Conspiracy to outrage public decency
 * Attempt, contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Attempts Act 1981

Parts 1 to 3 of Schedule 3 to the Serious Crime Act 2007 list numerous statutory offences of assisting, encouraging, inciting, attempting or conspiring at the commission of various crimes.

Other

 * Mayhem
 * Kidnapping
 * False imprisonment
 * Cheating the public revenue
 * High treason
 * Misprision of treason (disputed - alleged to be statutory)
 * Compounding treason
 * Contempt of the sovereign
 * Misconduct in public office
 * Refusal to execute public office
 * Doing an act tending and intended to pervert the course of public justice - a.k.a. perverting the course of justice, defeating the ends of justice, obstructing the administration of justice
 * Contempt of court a.k.a. criminal contempt
 * Fabrication of false evidence
 * Escape
 * Permitting an escape
 * Breach of prison/breaking prison
 * Rescue/rescuing a prisoner in custody
 * Public nuisance
 * Outraging public decency
 * Conspiracy to defraud
 * Conspiracy to corrupt public morals
 * Conspiracy to outrage public decency
 * Common assault aka assault (disputed - held to now be statutory, said obiter not to be)
 * battery (disputed - held to now be statutory, said obiter not to be)
 * Assault with intent to rob (may now be statutory)
 * Rape
 * Assault with intent to rape (continued existence disputed)