Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981

United Kingdom legislation

Forgery Act 1913
Bank Notes Forgery Act 1801
Bank Notes (Forgery) Act 1805
Bank Notes Forgery (Scotland) Act 1820
Coinage Offences Act 1936

Text of statute as originally enactedRevised text of statute as amended

The Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981 (c. 45) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which makes it illegal to make fake versions of many things, including legal documents, contracts, audio and visual recordings, and money of the United Kingdom and certain protected coins.^[2] It replaces the Forgery Act 1913, the Coinage Offences Act 1936 and parts of the Forgery Act 1861. It implements^[3] recommendations made by the Law Commission in their report on forgery and counterfeit currency.^[4]

Part I – Forgery and kindred offences

These offences are the intentional creation and publication of documents which, if not fake, would have legal force. These sections of the law cover all manner of documents, for example wills, contracts, and promissory notes.

Section 1 creates the offence of forgery.

Section 2 creates the offence of copying a false instrument.

Section 3 creates the offence of using a false instrument.

Section 4 creates the offence of using a copy of a false instrument.

Section 13 abolished the common law offence of forgery.

Part II – Counterfeiting and kindred offences

Section 27 defines the expressions "currency note" and "protected coin". This section makes it illegal to forge or counterfeit money. In addition to the money of the United Kingdom it explicitly states that certain foreign coins are protected coins under this act, and counterfeiting them is just as great an offence as counterfeiting coins of the United Kingdom.^[2]

Protected coin

Section 27(1) provides that, in Part II of the Act, the expression "protected coin" means any coin which is customarily used as money in any country, or which is specified for the purposes of Part II in an order made by the Treasury.

The following coins have been specified for the purposes of Part II:

Sovereign^[5]
Half sovereign^[5]
Krugerrand^[5]
Any coin denominated as a fraction of a Krugerrand.^[5]
Maria Theresia thaler bearing the date of 1780^[5]
Any euro coin produced in accordance with Council Regulation No. 975/98/EC (OJ No. L139, 11.5.98, p. 6) by or at the instance of a member state which has adopted the single currency in accordance with the Treaty establishing the European Community^[6]

Orders made under this section

The power conferred on the Treasury by section 27(1) has been exercised by the following orders:

The Forgery and Counterfeiting (Protected Coins) Order 1981 (S.I. 1981/505)
The Forgery and Counterfeiting (Protected Coins) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/2095)

Part III – Miscellaneous and general

Section 29 amended section 63 of the Post Office Act 1953. It was repealed on 26 March 2001^[7] by section 127(6) of, and Schedule 9 to, the Postal Services Act 2000.

References

Halsbury's Statutes,

^ The citation of this Act by this short title is authorised by section 34 of this Act.
^ ^a ^b Glazebrook, Peter, ed. (2013) [1989]. Blackstone's Statutes on Criminal Law 2013-2014. Blackstone's Statutes (23rd ed.). Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. pp. 93–98. ISBN 978-0199678549.
^ Hansard (House of Commons), 19 June 1981, col 1292, Norman Miscampbell.
^ The Law Commission. Criminal Law: Report on Forgery and Counterfeit Currency. (Law Com 55). 17 July 1973.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e The Forgery and Counterfeiting (Protected Coins) Order 1981 (S.I. 1981/505), article 2 and Schedule
^ The Forgery and Counterfeiting (Protected Coins) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/2095), article 2(1) (as read with article 2(2))
^ The Postal Services Act 2000 (Commencement No. 3 and Transitional and Saving Provisions) Order 2001 (S.I. 2001/878), article 2 and Schedule (as read with article 17)

External links

The full text of Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981 at Wikisource
The Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981, as amended from the National Archives.
The Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981, as originally enacted from the National Archives.

UK legislation

Pre-parliamentary legislation

Acts of parliaments of states preceding
the Kingdom of Great Britain

Parliament of England	1225–1267 1275–1307 1308–1325 Temp. incert. 1327–1376 1377–1397 1399–1411 1413–1421 1422–1460 1461 1463 1464 1467 1468 1472 1474 1477 1482 1483 1485–1503 1509–1535 1536 1539–1540 1541 1542 1543 1545 1546 1547 1548 1549 1551 1553 1554 1555 1557 1558–1575 1580 1584 1586 1588 1592 1597 1601 1603 1605 1606 1609 1620 1623 1625 1627 Petition of Right 1640 Interregnum (1642–1660) 1660 1661 1662 1663 1664 1665 1666 1667 1670 1672 1675 1677 1678 1679 Habeas Corpus Act 1680 1685 1688 1689 Bill of Rights 1690 1691 1692 1693 1694 1695 1696 1697 1698 1700 1701 1702 1703 1704 1705 1706
Parliament of Scotland	to 1707

Parliament of England