Crime
(Strangulation) (Jersey) Law 202-
A LAW to introduce a statutory
offence of strangulation.
Adopted
by the States 11 March 2026
Sanctioned
by Order of His Majesty in Council [date to be inserted]
Registered by the Royal Court [date to be inserted]
Coming into force [date to be inserted]
THE STATES, subject to the sanction of His Most
Excellent Majesty in Council, have adopted the following Law –
1 Offence of strangulation
(1) A
person (“A”) commits an offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term of 10 years
and to a fine if A deliberately strangles another person (“B”).
(2) A
has a defence if A proves, on the balance of probabilities, that –
(a) B consented to the
strangulation; and
(b) either –
(i) B did not suffer serious harm; or
(ii) B suffered serious harm,
but A did not intend to cause B serious harm and was not reckless as to whether
B would suffer serious harm.
(3) In
this Article –
“serious harm” includes loss of consciousness;
“strangle” includes –
(a) to suffocate;
(b) to choke;
(c) to restrict a person’s
breathing by any means; and
(d) to restrict the flow of
blood to a person’s brain by any means.
2 Customary law offences
unaffected
Nothing in this Law
limits or otherwise affects any customary law offence, including in particular
the offences of common assault and grave and criminal assault.
3 Citation and
commencement
This Law may be cited as
the Crime (Strangulation) (Jersey) Law 202- and comes into force on a day to be
specified by the Minister for Justice and Home Affairs by Order.