Making it an offence to sell a corrosive product to any person under the age of 18.[4]
A person found guilty of this offence, on
summary conviction and in
England and Wales, is liable to a prison term of no more than 51 weeks, a fine or both. In Scotland or Northern Ireland, the prison term is not to be more than 6 months.
Regulating the despatch and delivery of corrosive products.[5][6]
Making it an offence for a person to have a corrosive substance in a public place unless they can prove they had a good reason or lawful authority to do so (Section 6).[7]
In this context "corrosive substance" means a substance which is capable of burning human skin by corrosion.
Making provisions for custodial sentences after a person is convicted of an offence under section 6.[8][9][10]
Amending the
Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 to include reference to Section 6 and allow for police searches for corrosive substances if an offence under Section 6 has been committed, is being committed or is likely to be committed.[11]
Allows constables in Scotland to detain and search a person without a warrant if there is reasonable grounds for suspecting that the person is carrying a corrosive substance or has committed or is committing an offence under Section 6.[12]
This section also allows constables to seize any substances found during a search if it can be reasonably suspected that the substance is corrosive.[12]
When detaining a person using powers from this section, the constable must inform the person that they are doing so.[12]
It also makes it an offence to intentionally obstruct a constable acting in the exercise of their powers under the section or to conceal a corrosive substance from a constable when being searched under the powers given in this section.[12]
Amending the
Criminal Justice Act 1988 in regards to the threatening with an offensive weapon on education premises.[33]
Making it an offence to, while in a private place, unlawfully and intentionally threaten another with an article or substance in a way that there would be an immediate risk of serious harm to the other person.[34]
In this context, "an article or substance" is defined as:[34]
(b) an article to which section 139 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 applies, or
(c) a corrosive substance.
A person found guilty of this offence is liable, on
summary conviction, to a prison term not exceeding 12 months, a fine or both. If found guilty on
conviction on indictment, a person is liable to a prison term of up to 4 years, a fine or both.[34]
Making provisions to allow constables to, if they have reasonable grounds for suspicion, search school and further education premises and persons on them for corrosive substances and allowing them to seize any suspected corrosive substances.[35]
The bill had its first reading in the
House of Lords on 29 November 2018 and its second reading on 7 January 2019.[41] The Lords Committee first debated the bill on 28 January and made its report in February 2019.[41] The bill passed its third reading on 19 March 2019 and the amendments were passed back to the Commons.[41]
Amendments and royal assent
MPs amended the Lords' proposals on 26 March and passed the Bill back to the Lords where it was debated on 10 April.[44][45] The previous Lords amendments which the Commons had refused were not insisted on and the other Commons amendments were accepted.[46]Royal Assent was achieved by May 2019.[47]
Amendments
As of June 2019, there have been no amendments to the Act.[48]