13. Boys under eighteen are protected as respects sexual immorality from women of or over that age. The maximum penalty on the woman is imprisonment, with or without hard labour, for two years, or if she was suffering from venereal disease in a communicable form, penal servitude for five years. 14. Section sixty of the Offences against the Person Act, 1861, which relates to concealment of birth, is re-drafted. A court of summary jurisdiction will be able, if it thinks fit, to deal summarily with a woman who pleads guilty, where the offence is in relation to the body of her own child and she is not jointly charged with any person. 15. Sections twelve, thirteen, and fifteen of the Children Act, 1908 (relating respectively to the punishment for cruelty to children and young persons, to the suffocation of infants, and to exposing children to the risk of burning), are re-drafted and strengthened. The maximum punishment for an offence under section twelve is upon conviction on indictment to be penal servitude for five years, and upon summary conviction an offender is to be liable to imprisonment, with or without hard labour, for twelve months, or to a fine not exceeding two hundred pounds, or both. Sections seventeen and eighteen of that Act, as subsequently amended, are also re-drafted, and extended. 16. An offence under section sixty-eight of the Offences against the Person Act, 1861, ceases to be felony. 17. In no case where the criminal character of any act depends upon the age of a boy or girl, is it to be any defence to prove that the accused had reasonable cause to believe that the boy or girl was of or over that age. 18. The distinction between aggravated assault and common assault is determined; and the maximum penalty upon summary conviction for a common assault upon any person is increased to imprisonment, with or without hard labour, for six months, or to a fine not exceeding fifty pounds. ARRANGEMENT OF CLAUSES. PART I. CRIMINAL HOMICIDE AND KINDRED OFFENCES. Clause. 1. 2. Extension of law of homicide. Cases in which criminal homicide amounts to murder. Infanticide in certain cases not to amount to murder. 4. Punishment for murder. 3. 5. Punishment for manslaughter. 6. Punishment of accessory after the fact to murder. 7. Causing death of unborn child. 8. Attempts to commit murder. 9. Conspiracy, solicitation, or proposal to murder. Punishment for sending, delivering or uttering letter threatening to murder, &c. 10. 11. 12. Punishment for obstructing or impeding endeavour to save life. Punishment for attempt to commit suicide. 13. Accessories to suicide, &c. 14. Jurisdiction of quarter sessions in respect of offences under Part I. 15. 16. Provisions with respect to prosecution, &c., for criminal homicide. PART II. OFFENCES CAUSING BODILY HARM, ASSAULTS, &c. Punishment for unlawfully wounding or inflicting bodily harm. 17. Shooting or attempting to shoot or wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm, &c. 18. Administering poison, &c., with intent to injure, aggrieve, or annoy. 19. Administering poison, &c., so as to endanger life or inflict grievous bodily harm. Clause. 20. Attempting to choke, administering drug, &c., in 21. Offences by use of explosive substance or corrosive 22. Punishment for setting spring gun, man trap, &c. SEXUAL OFFENCES. Punishment for indecent assault. Acts of gross indecency with or in respect of girls Defilement of woman of unsound mind. 33. Defilement, &c., of girl under fourteen. Defilement of girl of fourteen or fifteen. Punishment of householders and other persons inducing or allowing women of unsound mind or girls to be on premises for defilement. 38. Punishment of person having custody, &c., and encouraging unlawful carnal knowledge of girl. 39. Punishment of person having custody, &c., of Increase of penalty in certain cases where offender is suffering from venereal disease. PROCURATION, ABDUCTION, AND UNLAWFUL DETENTION. OFFENCES AGAINST CHILDREN AND YOUNG PERSONS. 69. Ill-treatment of apprentice or servant. Jurisdiction of quarter sessions. Amendment of 7 Edw. 7. c. 23. s. 19. 75. Provisions with respect to 8 Edw. 7. c. 67, 1st Sch. Restriction on penalties in case of offenders under Power to bind over parent or guardian of girl in 81. Offences under two or more enactments. 83. Presumption as respects custody, &c. |