A Bill to amend the Accessories and Abettors Act 1861 to provide that only a person who directly commits, or who makes a significant contribution to the commission of, an offence may be held criminally liable.
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This bill would tighten who can be held criminally liable under the Accessories and Abettors Act 1861. It would mean that a person must either directly commit a crime or make a significant contribution to its commission to be liable, narrowing the current liability that can apply to more indirect involvement. In effect, it changes how joint enterprise cases can be charged and proved in court.
The bill has completed its 1st reading and is at the 2nd reading stage in the House of Commons (as of 2024-02-02). If it progresses, it would move through further stages in the Commons and then to the Lords.
Generated 21 February 2026
6 Dec 2023
2 Feb 2024
The dissolution of Parliament took place on Thursday 30 May 2024. All business in the House of Commons and House of Lords has come to an end and this bill will make no further progress.
No recorded votes for this bill yet.
