Background Part 3: Miscellaneous and General Section 56: Drugs and Driving
80.The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (“MD Act”) prohibits the production, import, export, possession and supply of “controlled drugs” (subject to regulations made under the MD Act). The definition of the term controlled drugs is set out in section 2 of the MD Act. However, it is not an offence under the MD Act to have a controlled drug in your body. Also in relation to drugs, section 4 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (“the 1988 Act”) makes it a criminal offence to drive, or be in charge of, a mechanically propelled vehicle when under the influence of drink or drugs. The difficulties involved in proving impairment due to drugs means that section 4 of the 1988 Act is not often used in drug driving cases. While section 5 of the 1988 Act makes it a separate offence to drive or be in charge of a motor vehicle with an alcohol concentration above the prescribed limit, no similar offence exists for drugs.
81.In December 2009, Sir Peter North CBE QC was appointed, by the then Secretary of State for Transport, to conduct an independent review of the law on drink driving and drug driving. Sir Peter North’s Report of the Review of Drink and Drug Driving Law was published in June 2010 and made a variety of recommendations in regards to drink and drug driving, including that further consideration should be given to introducing a new specific offence of driving or being in charge of a motor vehicle with a concentration of a controlled drug above a specified limit. Following Sir Peter North’s report the Transport Select Committee published, in December 2010, a report on drink and drug driving law (HC 460). The Committee favoured the adoption of a “zero-tolerance” offence for illegal drugs which are known to impair driving.
82.The Secretary of State for Transport made a written ministerial statement on 21 March 2011 (House of Commons, Official Report, column 44WS to 46WS) which announced the publication of the Government’s response to the reports by Sir Peter North and the Transport Select Committee on Drink and Drug Driving (CM 8050). The response endorsed Sir Peter North’s recommendation that the case for a new offence relating to drug driving should be examined further. Section 56 of the Act provides for such an offence.