Assisting an Offender - section 4(1) Criminal Law Act 1967
The offence of assisting an offender ("the principal offender") is committed when:
- the principal offender has committed an arrestable offence;
- the accused knows or believes that the principal offender has committed that or some other arrestable offence;
- the accused does any act with intent to impede the apprehension or prosecution of the principal offender; and
- the act is done without lawful authority or reasonable excuse.
It is an offence triable only on indictment unless the principal offence is an either way offence, in which case the offence of assisting a principal offender is also triable either way. The maximum sentence for the offence varies from three to ten years' imprisonment, depending on the punishment applicable to the principal offence: s.4(3).
