UK Act of Parliament 2015 United Kingdom

Modern Slavery Act 2015

An Act to make provision about slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour and about human trafficking, including provision for the protection of victims; to make provision for an Independent Anti-slavery Commissioner; and for connected purposes.

Status
Amended (in force with amendments)
Penalty ceiling
Imprisonment 3 of 14 obligations carry imprisonment (5 years). 6 carry different penalties and 5 have no criminal penalty — flagged in the list below.

Does it bind you?

Business-side roles with duties under this instrument.

Any Person10

Plus 4 duties on the regulator, Crown ministers and public bodies — folded into the section list below.

Other Acts binding the same actors

If a role above is yours, these are the other instruments that most often bind it.

Any Person — also bound by 2340 other Acts

What it requires

Sections creating concrete business duties or carrying penalties, grouped as the instrument is structured. Titles link to the source text — blue means you’re leaving for legislation.gov.uk.

Part 1

Offences

5 of 14 sections shown
s.001 Slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour (opens in a new tab) Imprisonment
  • Hold a person in slavery or forced labour when you know or ought to knowAny Person
s.002 Human trafficking (opens in a new tab) Imprisonment
  • Arrange/facilitate travel for exploitation (human trafficking)Any Person
s.004 Committing offence with intent to commit offence under section 2 (opens in a new tab) Imprisonment
  • Aid or abet a modern slavery offenceAny Person
s.005 Penalties (opens in a new tab) Imprisonment
  • Commit modern slavery offenceAny Person
s.009 Effect of slavery and trafficking reparation orders (opens in a new tab) Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Courts must determine appropriate compensation for modern slavery victimsTribunal / Court
9 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional
s.011 Enforcement by Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority
Part 2

Prevention orders

4 of 22 sections shown
s.019 Requirement to provide name and address (opens in a new tab) Regulated
  • Notify authorities of your name and address under a prevention orderAny Person
s.026 Requirement to provide name and address (opens in a new tab) Imprisonment
  • Notify authorities of your name and address if under a risk orderAny Person
s.027 Variation, renewal and discharge (opens in a new tab) Imprisonment
  • Apply to vary, renew or cancel a slavery and trafficking risk orderAny Person
s.030 Offences (opens in a new tab) Imprisonment
  • Breach slavery or trafficking prevention/risk orderAny Person
18 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional
s.030 Enforcement by Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority
Part 3

Maritime enforcement

0 of 5 sections shown
Part 4

The Independent Anti-slavery Commissioner

1 of 5 sections shown
s.044 Restriction on exercise of functions (opens in a new tab) Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Anti-Slavery Commissioner must not interfere in individual casesStatutory regulator
4 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional
Part 5

Protection of victims

1 of 10 sections shown
Part 6

Transparency in supply chains etc

0 of 1 section shown
1 other section in this Part — procedural and definitional
Part 7

Miscellaneous and general

0 of 9 sections shown
Schedules

Schedules

3 of 112 shown
s.001 Slavery and human trafficking offences (opens in a new tab) Imprisonment
  • Commit modern slavery or human trafficking offencesAny Person
s.002 Enforcement powers in relation to ships (opens in a new tab) Prosecution
  • Obstruct constable or give false information during ship investigationAny Person

Unlimited fine

s.003 Public authorities under a duty to co-operate with the Commissioner (opens in a new tab) Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Public authorities must cooperate with the Anti-Slavery CommissionerStatutory regulator
109 other schedules
s.sch001 An offence under section 145 of the Nationality, Immigration and...
s.sch001 (1) An offence under section 57, 58, 58A, 59 or...
s.sch001 An offence under section 22 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland)...
s.sch001 An offence under section 4 of the Asylum and Immigration...
s.sch001 An offence under section 71 of the Coroners and Justice...
s.sch001 An offence under section 47 of the Criminal Justice and...
s.sch001 An offence under section 1, 2 or 4 of this...
s.sch001 An offence under section 1, 2 or 4 of the...
s.sch001 (1) An offence under section 1 or 4 of the...
s.sch001 (1) An offence of attempting or conspiring to commit an...
s.sch002 (1) This Part of this Schedule sets out the powers...
s.sch002 (1) A person commits an offence under the law of...
s.sch002 (1) This Part of this Schedule sets out the powers...
s.sch002 (1) This paragraph applies if a Scottish constable or an...
s.sch002 (1) This paragraph applies if a Scottish constable or an...
s.sch002 (1) This paragraph applies if a Scottish constable or an...
s.sch002 (1) A Scottish constable or an enforcement officer may—
s.sch002 A Scottish constable or an enforcement officer may use reasonable...
s.sch002 A Scottish constable or an enforcement officer must produce evidence...
s.sch002 (1) A person commits an offence under the law of...
s.sch002 (1) This Part of this Schedule sets out the powers...
s.sch002 (1) This paragraph applies if an English and Welsh constable...
s.sch002 (1) This paragraph applies if a Northern Ireland constable or...
s.sch002 (1) This paragraph applies if a Northern Ireland constable or...
s.sch002 (1) This paragraph applies if a Northern Ireland constable or...
s.sch002 (1) The Department of Justice in Northern Ireland must prepare...
s.sch002 (1) A Northern Ireland constable or an enforcement officer may—...
s.sch002 A Northern Ireland constable or an enforcement officer may use...
s.sch002 A Northern Ireland constable or an enforcement officer must produce...
s.sch002 A Northern Ireland constable or an enforcement officer is not...
s.sch002 (1) A person commits an offence under the law of...
s.sch002 (1) This paragraph applies if an English and Welsh constable...
s.sch002 (1) This paragraph applies if an English and Welsh constable...
s.sch002 (1) The Secretary of State must prepare and issue a...
s.sch002 (1) An English and Welsh constable or an enforcement officer...
s.sch002 An English and Welsh constable or an enforcement officer may...
s.sch002 An English and Welsh constable or an enforcement officer must...
s.sch002 An English and Welsh constable or an enforcement officer is...
s.sch003 Law enforcement and border security
s.sch003 Local government
s.sch003 Health bodies
s.sch003 Northern Irish public authority
s.sch004 False imprisonment.
s.sch004 An offence under section 1 of the Children and Young...
s.sch004 An offence under section 2 of the Public Order Act...
s.sch004 An offence under section 1 of the Infanticide Act 1938...
s.sch004 An offence under any of the following provisions of the...
s.sch004 An offence under any of the following provisions of the...
s.sch004 The following offences under the Criminal Damage Act 1971— an...
s.sch004 An offence under section 25 of the Immigration Act 1971...
s.sch004 An offence under section 170 of the Customs and Excise...
s.sch004 An offence under section 1 of the Taking of Hostages...
s.sch004 An offence under any of the following provisions of the...
s.sch004 Kidnapping.
s.sch004 An offence under section 127 of the Mental Health Act...
s.sch004 An offence under any of the following provisions of the...
s.sch004 An offence under any of the following provisions of the...
s.sch004 An offence under section 134 of the Criminal Justice Act...
s.sch004 An offence under any of the following provisions of the...
s.sch004 An offence under any of the following provisions of the...
s.sch004 An offence under Part 2 of the Channel Tunnel (Security)...
s.sch004 An offence under any of the following provisions of the...
s.sch004 An offence under any of the following provisions of the...
s.sch004 An offence under any of the following provisions of the...
s.sch004 Manslaughter.
s.sch004 An offence under any of the following provisions of the...
s.sch004 An offence under any of the following provisions of the...
s.sch004 An offence under any of the following provisions of the...
s.sch004 An offence under any of the following provisions of the...
s.sch004 An offence under section 5 of the Domestic Violence, Crime...
s.sch004 An offence under any of the following provisions of the...
s.sch004 An offence under section 75A of the Serious Crime Act...
s.sch004 An offence under any of the following provisions of the...
s.sch004 An offence under any of the following provisions of Schedule...
s.sch004 An offence under any of the following provisions of the...
s.sch004 An offence under any of the following provisions of the...
s.sch004 (1) An offence of attempting or conspiring to commit an...
s.sch004 Murder.
s.sch004 Perverting the course of justice.
s.sch004 Piracy.
s.sch004 An offence under any of the following provisions of the...
s.sch004 An offence under any of the following provisions of the...
s.sch004 An offence under section 1 of the Infant Life (Preservation)...
s.sch004a Information gateways: specified persons
s.sch005 (1) Schedule 1 to the Children and Young Persons Act...
s.sch005 In Part 1 of Schedule 1 to the Legal Aid,...
s.sch005 (1) The Administration of Justice Act 1970 is amended as...
s.sch005 (1) Section 24 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 (recovery...
s.sch005 In paragraph 2 of Schedule 1 to the Social Security...
s.sch005 In section 13(3A) of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002...
s.sch005 In section 19(8) of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002...
s.sch005 In section 20(12) of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002...
s.sch005 In section 32(7)(b) of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002...
s.sch005 In section 33(9)(b) of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002...
s.sch005 In section 25C of the Immigration Act 1971 (forfeiture of...
s.sch005 In section 308 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002...
s.sch005 In Schedule 11 to the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002...
s.sch005 (1) Schedule 5 to the Courts Act 2003 (collection of...
s.sch005 In paragraph 1 of Schedule 10 to the Health and...
s.sch005 (1) The Prevention of Social Housing Fraud Act 2013 is...
s.sch005 In section 65A(2) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act...
s.sch005 In section 2(1) of the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992...
s.sch005 (1) The Sexual Offences Act 2003 is amended as follows....
s.sch005 (1) The Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act...
s.sch005 (1) Part 1 of Schedule 1 to the Serious Crime...
s.sch005 Omit section 71 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009...
s.sch005 (1) The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 is amended as...

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