Sexual Offences Act 1956
Part I Offences, and the Prosecution and Punishment of Offences
Intercourse by force, intimidation, etc.
1 Rape of woman or man.
2 Procurement of woman by threats.
3 Procurement of woman by false pretences.
4 Administering drugs to obtain or facilitate intercourse.
Intercourse with girls under sixteen
5 Intercourse with girl under thirteen.
6†Intercourse with girl between thirteen and sixteen.
Intercourse with defectives
7 Intercourse with defective.
8 Offences, and the Prosecution and Punishment of Offences
9 Procurement of defective.
Incest
10 Incest by a man.
11 Incest by a woman.
Unnatural offences
12 Buggery.
13 Indecency between men.
Assaults
14 Indecent assault on a woman.
15 Indecent assault on a man.
16 Assault with intent to commit buggery.
Abduction
17 Abduction of woman by force or for the sake of her property.
18 Offences, and the Prosecution and Punishment of Offences
19 Abduction of unmarried girl under eighteen from parent or guardian.
20 Abduction of unmarried girl under sixteen from parent or guardian.
21 Abduction of defective from parent or guardian.
Prostitution, procuration etc.
22 Causing prostitution of women.
23 Procuration of girl under twenty-one.
24 Detention of woman in brothel or other premises.
25 Permitting girl under thirteen to use premises for intercourse.
26†Permitting girl between thirteen and sixteen to use premises for intercourse.
27 Permitting defective to use premises for intercourse.
28 Causing or encouraging prostitution of, intercourse with, or indecent assault on, girl under sixteen.
29 Causing or encouraging prostitution of defective.
30 Man living on earnings of prostitution.
31 Woman exercising control over prostitute.
Solicitation
32 Solicitation by men.
Suppression of brothels
33 Keeping a brothel.
33AKeeping a brothel used for prostitution
34 Landlord letting premises for use as brothel.
35 Tenant permitting premises to be used as brothel.
36 Tenant permitting premises to be used for prostitution.
Powers and procedure for dealing with offenders
37 Prosecution and punishment of offences.
38 Offences, and the Prosecution and Punishment of Offences
39 Offences, and the Prosecution and Punishment of Offences
Powers of arrest and search
40 Powers of arrest and search
41†Power of arrest in cases of trading in prostitution, or of soliciting by men.
42 Power of search in case of man living on earnings of prostitution.
43 Power to search for and remove woman detained for immoral purposes.
Interpretation
44 Meaning of “sexual intercourse”.
45 Meaning of “defective”.
46 Use of words “man”, “boy”, “woman” and “girl”.
46A Meaning of parental responsibility.
47 Proof of exceptions.
Part II Supplementary
Consequential amendments
48 Amendments of Acts not consolidated.
49. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
50 Adaptation of enactments applying to Northern Ireland.
51. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
52 Savings, etc.
53 Construction of references to enactments.
54 Extent.
55 Short title.
56 Commencement.
SCHEDULES
FIRST SCHEDULE Rights of Landlord where Tenant convicted of
permitting use of premises as Brothel
1Upon the conviction of the tenant or occupier (in this...
2If the tenant fails to do so within three months,...
3Where the lease or contract is determined under this Schedule,...
4The approval of the lessor or landlord for the purposes...
5This Schedule shall have effect subject to the Rent and...
SECOND SCHEDULE Table of offences, with mode of prosecution, punishments, etc.
Part IFelonies and attempts of felonies
Part IIOffences other than felonies and attempts at felonies
Third Schedule Consequential Amendments of Enactments not Consolidated.
SCHEDULE 4
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Sexual Offences Act 1956

1956 c.69

An Act to consolidate (with corrections and improvements made under the Consolidation of Enactments (Procedure) Act 1949) the statute law of England and Wales relating to sexual crimes, to the abduction, procuration and prostitution of women and to kindred offences, and to make such adaptations of statutes extending beyond England and Wales as are needed in consequence of that consolidation.

Annotations:
Commencement Information
I1

Act wholly in force at 1.1.1957 see s. 56