Summary offence

Summary offence Meaning

An offence that is only punishable by a summary judgement is the least severe sort of criminal offence. A sort of criminal offence that is often prosecuted in a magistrate's court and that is, in comparison to other categories of criminal offences, regarded as being of a lesser degree of gravity.

While the sentencing powers for summary only proceedings are more restricted, there are certain offences that may be punished with imprisonment and/or infinite penalties.

Shoplifting is an example of an offence that may only be dealt with in summary form (according to Section 22A(1) of the Magistrates' Courts Act of 1980). Common assault (Section 39 Criminal Justice Act 1988) Driving without proper insurance coverage (Section 143 of the Road Traffic Act 1988).

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The publications published by Law Tutor are compilations of the legal research notes of a barrister and a professor. These books were written with the LLB at UCL and CILEX exams, as well as the SQE standards, in mind. These legal literature and study guides may be useful for students taking exams like the LLB, SQE, CILEX, PGDL, GDL, and UOL.