Commentary on Sections Dangerous offenders Section 5: Minor amendments
132.This section makes provision in relation to the life sentence under section 224A of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (and corresponding provision in the Armed Forces Act 2006), and the extended determinate sentence under section 226A of that Act.
133.Subsection (1) makes provision about determining the date of an offence for the purposes of section 224A of the Criminal Justice Act 2003. It provides that offences found to have been committed over a period of two or more days, or at an unknown point during a period of two or more days, are to be treated as though committed on the last of those days. Subsection (3) makes equivalent provision for corresponding provision in the Armed Forces Act 2006.
134.Subsection (2) extends the provision allowing courts to treat certificates from another court, in respect of a previous conviction, as evidence of the nature of the crime (for example, that an offence of robbery included the use of a firearm), so that it applies for the purpose of determining eligibility for an extended determinate sentence under section 226A of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 as well as a life sentence under section 224A of that Act.