Criminal Law (Incest Proceedings) Act, 1995

What is this act about?

This law amends the Punishment of Incest Act, 1908, primarily by changing penalties for incest, ensuring privacy in related court proceedings, and protecting the anonymity of those involved.

Who it applies to: Individuals charged with an offense under the Punishment of Incest Act, 1908; Individuals to whom an incest offense is alleged to have been committed.

Deadlines:

Offenses for contravening anonymity provisions can result in fines up to £10,000 or imprisonment up to 3 years on indictment, or fines up to £1,500 or imprisonment up to 12 months on summary conviction.
The maximum punishment for incest under the 1908 Act is amended from "a term not exceeding 20 years" to "life".

At a glance

Country: Ireland
Area of law: Criminal law
Articles: 7
Source: irishstatutebook.ie
Text retrieved: 2026-06-17
Explanation updated: 2026-07-07

What does this act regulate?

The exclusion of the public from court hearings for incest offenses.
The anonymity of individuals charged with incest and those to whom the offense relates.
Penalties for publishing or broadcasting identifying information in contravention of the Act.
The punishment for incest offenses under the 1908 Act.

Who does this act apply to?

Individuals charged with an offense under the Punishment of Incest Act, 1908.
Individuals to whom an incest offense is alleged to have been committed.
Judges and courts presiding over incest proceedings.
The press and other publishers or broadcasters of information.

What are the key points?

Court hearings for incest offenses will exclude the public, except for court officers, directly concerned persons, bona fide press representatives, and others permitted by the judge.
The verdict, decision, and sentence (if any) in such proceedings must be announced in public.
No matter likely to identify the person charged or the person to whom the offense relates shall be published or broadcast after a person is charged.
Offenses for contravening anonymity provisions can result in fines up to £10,000 or imprisonment up to 3 years on indictment, or fines up to £1,500 or imprisonment up to 12 months on summary conviction.
The maximum punishment for incest under the 1908 Act is amended from "a term not exceeding 20 years" to "life".

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Legal text

Contents (7)

Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4
Section 5
Section 6
Section 7

Criminal Law (Incest Proceedings) Act, 1995 Skip to content Disclaimer Feedback Helpdesk Gaeilge Léim go dtí an t-ábhar Séanadh Aiseolas Deasc chabhrach English Gaeilge English Produced by the Office of the Attorney General Táirgthe ag Oifig an Ard-Aighne Home Legislation Acts of the Oireachtas Statutory Instruments Pre-1922 Legislation Constitution External Resources Bills (Houses of the Oireachtas) Iris Oifigiúil / Official Gazette Revised Acts (LRC) Classified List of Legislation (LRC) Translations (acts.ie) Translations (Houses of the Oireachtas) Government Publications for Sale EU Law (EUR-Lex) FAQ Disclaimer Feedback Helpdesk Search Baile Reachtaíocht Achtanna an Oireachtais Ionstraimí Reachtúla Reachtaíocht Réamh-1922 Bunreacht Acmhainní Seachtracha Billí (Tithe an Oireachtais) Iris Oifigiúil Achtanna Athbhreithnithe (CAD) (An Coimisiún um Athchóiriú an Dlí) Liosta Rangaithe Reachtaíochta Aistriúcháin (achtanna.ie) Aistriúcháin (Tithe an Oireachtais) Foilseacháin Rialtais ar Díol Dlí AE (EUR-Lex) CCanna (Ceisteanna Coitianta) Séanadh Aiseolas Deasc chabhrach Cuardach TitleTeideal Year(s) or rangeBliain nó blianta nó raon TypeCineál All Legislation Acts Statutory Instruments Advanced SearchCuardach Casta HomeBaile ActsAchtanna 1995 Criminal Law (Incest Proceedings) Act, 1995 Criminal Law (Incest Proceedings) Act, 1995 Permanent Page URL View by SectionAmharc de réir Ailt View Full ActAmharc ar an Acht Iomlán Bill History Stair Bille Commencement, Amendments, SIs made under the Act Tosach Feidhme, Leasuithe, IRí arna ndéanamh faoin Acht Print Full ActPriontáil an tAcht Iomlán Number 12 of 1995 CRIMINAL LAW (INCEST PROCEEDINGS) ACT, 1995 ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS Section

Section 1

“Act of 1908”.

Section 2

Exclusion of public from hearings of proceedings under Act of 1908.

Section 3

Anonymity of person charged with offence under Act of 1908 and person to whom offence relates.

Section 4

Provisions in relation to offences under section 3.

Section 5

Amendment of section 1 of Act of 1908.

Section 6

Repeal of section 5 of Act of 1908.

Section 7

Short title.

Number 12 of 1995 CRIMINAL LAW (INCEST PROCEEDINGS) ACT, 1995 AN ACT TO AMEND THE PUNISHMENT OF INCEST ACT, 1908, AND TO PROVIDE FOR RELATED MATTERS. [5th July, 1995] BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS: “Act of 1908”.

1.—In this Act “the Act of 1908” means the Punishment of Incest Act, 1908 .

Exclusion of public from hearings of proceedings under Act of 1908.

2.—(1) In any proceedings for an offence under the Act of 1908, the judge or the court, as the case may be, shall exclude from the court during the hearing all persons except officers of the court, persons directly concerned in the proceedings, bona fide representatives of the press and such other persons (if any) as the judge or the court, as the case may be, may, in his, her or its discretion, permit to remain.

(2)In any proceedings to which subsection (1) of this section applies the verdict or decision and the sentence (if any) shall be announced in public.

Anonymity of person charged with offence under Act of 1908 and person to whom offence relates.

3.—(1) After a person is charged with an offence under the Act of 1908, no matter likely to lead members of the public to identify that person as the person charged or to identify any other person as a person in relation to whom the offence is alleged to have been committed shall be published in a written publication available to the public or broadcast.

(2)If any matter is published or broadcast in contravention of subsection (1) of this section, the following persons shall be guilty of an offence namely: (a) in the case of matter published in a newspaper or periodical publication, the proprietor, the editor and the publisher thereof, (b) in the case of matter published in any other written publication, the publisher thereof, and (c) in the case of matter broadcast, any person who transmits or provides the programme in which the broadcast is made and any person who performs functions in relation to the programme corresponding to those of the editor of a newspaper.

(3)Nothing in this section shall be construed as— (a) prohibiting the publication or broadcasting of matter consisting only of a report of legal proceedings other than proceedings at, or intended to lead to, or an appeal arising out of, a trial of a person for an offence under the Act of 1908, or (b) affecting any prohibition or restriction imposed by virtue of any other enactment upon the publication or broadcasting of any matter.

(4)In the section— “broadcast” means broadcast by wireless telegraphy of sound or visual images intended for general reception, and cognate words shall be construed accordingly; “written publication” includes a film, or a recording (whether of sound or images or both) in permanent form but does not include an indictment or other document prepared for use in particular legal proceedings.

Provisions in relation to offences under section 3 .

4.—(1) A person guilty of an offence under section 3 of this Act shall be liable— (a) on conviction on indictment, to a fine not exceeding £10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or to both, or (b) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding £1,500 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.

(2)(a) Where an offence under section 3 of this Act has been committed by a body corporate and is proved to have been committed with the consent or connivance of or to be attributable to any neglect on the part of a person, being a director, manager, secretary or other officer of the body corporate, or a person who was purporting to act in any such capacity, that person as well as the body corporate shall be guilty of an offence and be liable to be proceeded against and punished as if he or she were guilty of the first-mentioned offence. (b) Where the affairs of a body corporate are managed by its members, paragraph (a) of this subsection shall apply in relation to the acts and defaults of a member in connection with his or her functions of management as if he or she were a director or manager of the body corporate.

(3)It shall be a defence for a person who is charged with an offence under section 3 of this Act to prove that at the time of the alleged offence the person was not aware, and neither suspected nor had reason to suspect, that the matter alleged to have been published or broadcast was matter specified in the said section 3 .

Amendment of section 1 of Act of 1908.

5.—Section 1 of the Act of 1908 is hereby amended— (a) in subsection (1), by the substitution of “life” for “a term not exceeding 20 years” (inserted by the Criminal Justice Act, 1993 ) and “felony” for “misdemeanour”, and (b) by the deletion of subsection (3).

Repeal of section 5 of Act of 1908.

6.—Section 5 of the Act of 1908 is hereby repealed.

Short title.

7.—This Act may be cited as the Criminal Law (Incest Proceedings) Act, 1995.

Acts Referred to Criminal Justice Act, 1993 1993, No. 6 Punishment of Incest Act, 1908 1908, c. 45 Privacy Statement Accessibility European Legislation Identifier (PDF) Open Data License Ráiteas Príobháideachais Inrochtaineacht Aitheantóir Eorpach Reachtaíochta (ELI) Ceadúnas Sonraí Oscailte Liosta Fianán © Government of Ireland. Oireachtas Copyright Material is reproduced with the permission of the Houses of the Oireachtas © Rialtas na hÉireann. Atáirgtear ábhar faoi Chóipcheart le cead ó Thithe an Oireachtais

AI explanation based on the official legal text. Indicative, not a substitute for legal advice.