(1) A person is subject to the notification requirements of this Part for the period set out in section 82 (“the notification period”) if—
(a)he is convicted of an offence listed in Schedule 3;
(b)he is found not guilty of such an offence by reason of insanity;
(c)he is found to be under a disability and to have done the act charged against him in respect of such an offence; or
(d)in England and Wales or Northern Ireland, he is cautioned in respect of such an offence.
(2) A person for the time being subject to the notification requirements of this Part is referred to in this Part as a “relevant offender”.
Cases considering section 80 29
[2026] EWCA Crim 845 · 2 July 2026
Applied the notification regime after the substituted detention sentences and made notification requirements indefinite for X and Y. (see para [176])
[2026] EWCA Crim 767 · 4 June 2026
The reduced sentence brought the case below 30 months, so the notification period became 10 years from conviction rather than life. (see para [21])
[2026] EWCA Crim 129 · 29 January 2026
The court applied section 80 to confirm that notification requirements arise automatically on conviction, unlike an SHPO, which is discretionary. (see para [16])
9 more judgments, and what each says about section 80, are in the
case-law panel in the full Act.
149.Sections 80 to 92 re-enact, with amendments, Part 1 of the Sex Offenders Act 1997(the 1997 Act), which established a requirement on sex offenders to notify certain personal details to the police. This process is commonly known as “registration”, and often referred to loosely as creating a “sex offenders’ register”. Sections 80 and 81 set out the persons who are required to comply with the notification requirements. Such a person is referred to as a “relevant offender” (subsection (2)).
150.Subsection (1) provides that notification requirements apply to a person who is dealt with by a court, in any of the ways specified in the subsection (which include conviction), in respect of an offence specified in Schedule 3.The offences in Schedule 3 are exclusively sexual offences, and include the offences that were listed in the corresponding section of Schedule 1 of the 1997 Act. In relation to England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Schedule 3 also includes various offences under Part 1 of this Act. A number of the offences in Schedule 3 are subject to age and sentence thresholds beneath which the offence will not trigger the notification requirements.
151.In relation to section 80 (and Part 2 generally) a “conviction” includes a conviction after commencement which results in a conditional but not an absolute discharge: section 134 provides that in relation to an order for a conditional discharge, the legislation that deems a conviction with an absolute or conditional discharge not to be a conviction, does not apply in relation to this Part of the Act. The term “convicted” as it applies to mentally disordered offenders is explained at section 135(1) and (2). The reference at subsection (1)(c) is further explained at section 135(3).
152.Subsection (1)(d) refers to a person who is cautioned for a relevant offence. Section 133 provides that the term “caution” includes a reprimand or warning given under section 65 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (the 1998 Act). These reprimands and warnings are given to young offenders.