section 39, Criminal Justice Act 1988 and section 1(1), Criminal Attem

Attempt common assault

The statutory wording, points to prove, defences and penalty — verified against legislation.gov.uk (current revised versions, July 2026).

What the law says

Attempt common assault — topic/offence reference under Contrary to section 39 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 and section 1(1) of the Criminal Attempts Act 1981..

CJS codes

Official CJS offence index (March 2026)

—Charged under the specific underlying offence code.

Points to prove

Mode of trial & maximum penalty

Summary only — Not applicable — no such offence: common assault is summary-only, so attempt liability does not exist (Criminal Attempts Act 1981, s 1(4))

Sources

www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/47/section/1
www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/33/section/39

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