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Legal Terms - Forgery
The crime of creating a "false instrument" with the intent for it to be regarded as authentic, therefore inflicting injury on others. According to the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981, a “instrument” might refer to a document, a stamp issued by the Post Office or HM Revenue, or any device (such as magnetic tape) that records or stores information. An instrument is deemed "false" if it falsely claims to have been created or modified (1) by or under the authority of an individual who did not actually do such actions; (2) on a date or at a location that is inaccurate; or (3) by an individual who does not exist. Besides forging, it is a criminal offense under the Act to replicate or utilize a fraudulent instrument, with knowledge or belief of its falsity. Possessing or controlling specified counterfeit instruments with the purpose to present them as authentic is an offense. It is also an offense to create or possess any material intended for the production of the designated counterfeit instruments. The designated instruments encompass currency or postal orders, stamps, share certificates, passports, cheques, cheque cards, credit cards, and duplicates of entries in a registry of births, marriages, or deaths. All aforementioned offenses are subject to indictment punishable by a maximum of ten years' imprisonment and, upon summary trial, a fine at level 5 on the standard scale and/or six months' imprisonment. The Act addresses the offenses of counterfeiting currency, whether or not there is intent to circulate it as authentic; owning counterfeit currency; circulating counterfeit currency; creating or possessing tools for counterfeiting; and importing or exporting counterfeit currency. Reproducing any British currency note, such as photocopying a £5 note, becomes an offense, as does creating an imitation British coin under specific conditions. Certain of these offenses incur penalties equivalent to those for forgery.
The crime of creating a "false instrument" with the intent for it to be regarded as authentic, therefore inflicting injury on others. According to the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981, a “instrument” might refer to a document, a stamp issued by the Post Office or HM Revenue, or any device (such as magnetic tape) that records or stores information. An instrument is deemed "false" if it falsely claims to have been created or modified (1) by or under the authority of an individual who did not actually do such actions; (2) on a date or at a location that is inaccurate; or (3) by an individual who does not exist. Besides forging, it is a criminal offense under the Act to replicate or utilize a fraudulent instrument, with knowledge or belief of its falsity. Possessing or controlling specified counterfeit instruments with the purpose to present them as authentic is an offense. It is also an offense to create or possess any material intended for the production of the designated counterfeit instruments. The designated instruments encompass currency or postal orders, stamps, share certificates, passports, cheques, cheque cards, credit cards, and duplicates of entries in a registry of births, marriages, or deaths. All aforementioned offenses are subject to indictment punishable by a maximum of ten years' imprisonment and, upon summary trial, a fine at level 5 on the standard scale and/or six months' imprisonment. The Act addresses the offenses of counterfeiting currency, whether or not there is intent to circulate it as authentic; owning counterfeit currency; circulating counterfeit currency; creating or possessing tools for counterfeiting; and importing or exporting counterfeit currency. Reproducing any British currency note, such as photocopying a £5 note, becomes an offense, as does creating an imitation British coin under specific conditions. Certain of these offenses incur penalties equivalent to those for forgery.
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