Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981

The Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981^[1]
Dates
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to make fresh provision for England and Wales and Northern Ireland with respect to forgery and kindred offences; to make fresh provision for Great Britain and Northern Ireland with respect to the counterfeiting of notes and coins and kindred offences; to amend the penalties for offences under section 63 of the Post Office Act 1953; and for connected purposes.
Citation	1981 c 45
Royal assent	27 July 1981
Text of statute as originally enacted
Revised 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.
1 2 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.
1 2 3 4 5 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 Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981, as amended from the National Archives.
The Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981, as originally enacted from the National Archives.

United Kingdom legislation

Pre-Parliamentary legislation	List of English statutes Charter of Liberties Magna Carta

Acts of Parliament by states preceding the Kingdom of Great Britain	Acts of the Parliament of England to 1483 1485–1601 1603–1641 Interregnum (1642–1660) 1660–1699 1700–1706 Acts of the Parliament of Scotland

Acts of Parliament of the Kingdom of Great Britain	1707–1719 1720–1739 1740–1759 1760–1779 1780–1800

Acts of the Parliament of Ireland	to 1700 1701–1800

Acts of Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland	1801–1819 1820–1839 1840–1859 1860–1879 1880–1899 1900–1919 1920–1939 1940–1959 1960–1979 1980–1999 2000 to date Halsbury's Statutes Legislation.gov.uk Short titles

Church of England measures	List Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919

Legislation of devolved institutions	Acts of the Scottish Parliament List Acts and Measures of the National Assembly for Wales List Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly List Acts of the Parliament of Northern Ireland List Orders in Council for Northern Ireland List

Orders-in-Council	Order in Council

Secondary legislation	United Kingdom Statutory Instruments Scottish Statutory Instruments Acts of Sederunt Acts of Adjournal

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