Editing Forgery (section)

===England and Wales and Northern Ireland===
In [[England and Wales]] and [[Northern Ireland]], forgery is an offence under section 1 of the [[Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981]], which provides:

{{Blockquote|A person is guilty of forgery if he makes a false instrument, with the intention that he or another shall use it to induce somebody to accept it as genuine, and by reason of so accepting it to do or not to do some act to his own or any other person’s prejudice.<ref>[[Legislation.gov.uk]]. [http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/45/section/1 Digitised copy of section 1] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804231616/http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/45/section/1 |date=2018-08-04 }}.</ref>}}

"Instrument" is defined by section 8, "makes" and "false" by section 9, and "induce" and "prejudice" by section 10.

Forgery is [[triable either way]]. A person guilty of forgery is liable, on conviction on [[indictment]], to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years, or, on [[summary conviction]], to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or to a fine not exceeding the [[statutory maximum]], or to both.<ref>The [[Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981]], [http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/45/section/6 sections 6(1) to (3)(a)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180622194323/https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/45/section/6 |date=2018-06-22 }}</ref>

For offences akin to forgery, see [[English criminal law#Forgery, personation, and cheating]].

The [[common law offence]] of forgery is abolished for all purposes not relating to offences committed before the commencement of the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981.<ref>The Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981, [http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/45/section/13 section 13] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114094925/http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/45/section/13 |date=2012-11-14 }}</ref>