All disposals
Communications· MCA 1988
Section 1 — Offence of sending letters etc. with intent to cause distress or anxiety
It is an offence to send a communication (letter, electronic message, article) that is indecent, grossly offensive, a threat, or contains information known to be false, with the purpose of causing distress or anxiety to the recipient or any other intended reader.
Penalty reference
- Mode of trial
- Either-way
- Maximum penalty
- 12 months summary / 2 years on indictment + unlimited fine.
- Out-of-court eligibility
- ✓ CR✓ Caution✓ Cond. Caution
Note: If sent on/after 31 Jan 2024, consider OSA 2023 s.179/s.181 instead.
Triage the circumstances
Quick answers — the engine applies the College/CPS hard rules.
Need a refresher on the terms? See the Glossary.