noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a criminal offence/act (= a crime )
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Cruelty to animals is a criminal offence.
a driving offence (= an action that breaks the laws on driving )
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He had to appear in court for a driving offence.
a drug offence (= a crime related to having or selling drugs )
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Luciani is serving 20 years for drug offences.
a serious crime/offence
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Kidnapping is a serious crime.
alleged offence/crime/incident etc
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their alleged involvement in international terrorism
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The alleged victim made the complaint at a police station in York.
cause offence/embarrassment (= offend/embarrass someone )
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How can I refuse the invitation without causing offence?
commit a crime/offence
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People who commit crimes end up in jail.
compound a crime/an offence etc
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He compounded the offence by calling his opponents liars.
mean no harm/offence/disrespect (= not intend to harm, offend etc someone )
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I’m sure he didn’t mean any harm.
motoring offences
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He was found guilty of 14 motoring offences .
punishable offence
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a punishable offence
statutory offence
take offence (= feel offended )
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Don’t take offence. Roger says things like that to everybody.
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADJECTIVE
alleged
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No plea was taken from Mr. Bell in respect of the alleged offence of drunk and disorderly behaviour.
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He may still plead not guilty while admitting that he is the person concerned in the alleged offence .
arrestable
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Further detention can only be authorised in the case of a person who is suspected of having committed a serious arrestable offence .
bookable
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Derby's Coleman was sent off late for his second bookable offence .
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Middlesbrough fans feared the worst when central defender Nicky Mohan was sent off for a second bookable offence .
capital
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The word from Lilongwe now is that Chihana will be charged with sedition, a capital offence .
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Loss of privileges in peacetime; in war, a capital offence .
criminal
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Water was so scarce that lawn-sprinkling in the suburbs became a criminal offence .
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Eviction without a court order is a criminal offence .
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Thus he may decide that although the investigation discloses a criminal offence , no action should be taken in the criminal courts.
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From next month, it will be a criminal offence to give false or misleading descriptions of property for sale.
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Also, falsely describing goods can amount to a criminal offence under the Trades Description Act 1968.
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Failure to comply with this requirement is also a criminal offence .
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He had never been charged with any criminal offence .
guilty
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He was guilty of this offence when he used the car for his own purposes the following day.
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Indeed, it would seem that members of the same family who quarrel in the garden may be guilty of the offence .
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He was adjudged guilty of the offence of obstruction.
lesser
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Indecency in public displays is and should remain a separate if lesser offence .
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His state of mind will help to determine whether he is guilty of murder or the lesser offence of manslaughter.
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Or would it be fairer to convict the harm-doer of a lesser offence , thus ignoring the chance result?
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If it results in young Pardy being charged with a lesser offence , Deanes will be highly satisfied.
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However, of these, 42 percent. pleaded guilty to a lesser offence such as indecent assault.
minor
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Section 5 of the Act creates a relatively minor offence which is likely to be of considerable practical significance.
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If he didn't want to go to court for a very minor offence , then you could caution him.
new
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The new sequence begins with a provocation which, if well directed, generates a new offence from the provoked teacher.
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The new offence becomes the occasion for another and now legitimized act of retribution.
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The new offence in the Aggravated Vehicle-Taking Bill 1991-1992 raises familiar issues associated with hastily conceived legislation.
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Two characteristics of the new offence deserve special attention.
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The more important elements of the definition of the new offence are referred to in paragraphs 34-58.
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This is not a new offence .
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A new general offence of giving a misleading price indication is provided in s20.
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Indeed, as the new offence is defined, it creates what is essentially a statutory form of assault.
punishable
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Any lying by the debtor during the examination constitutes perjury, which is a serious and punishable offence .
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Respirators were a nuisance; it was a punishable offence for any member of the armed forces to be caught without one.
serious
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Any lying by the debtor during the examination constitutes perjury, which is a serious and punishable offence .
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He justifies this view on the ground that rape is a very serious offence to which serious penalties attach.
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Dismissal following automatically if a third serious offence was committed.
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Further detention can only be authorised in the case of a person who is suspected of having committed a serious arrestable offence .
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Jailing Murray, Lord Kirkwood described the charge he had been convicted of as a very serious offence .
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If, however, their conduct is itself disorderly, they may commit the less serious offence .
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This was a serious offence , and she was dismissed.
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His most serious offence in that time was taking part in a robbery while armed with a crossbow.
statutory
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That is a statutory offence or, more bluntly put, a criminal offence.
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It created a statutory offence of riot - 12 or more people using or threatening violence for an unlawful purpose.
■ VERB
avoid
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A disclaimer is an obvious and simple device for a trader to use to avoid committing an offence .
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The archbishop came back under papal orders to avoid giving offence to the king.
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As it was, it was impossible for even the most servile and well-meaning to avoid offence .
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But what is to be done by the honest car dealer, i.e. the man who wishes to avoid committing an offence ?
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The only defence is that the estate agent took all reasonable steps and exercised all due diligence to avoid committing the offence .
carry
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He risks being charged with an offence that carries up to five years in jail.
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A second offence carries a life ban.
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Conviction for such an offence carries a five-year prison sentence.
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There is the offence of being carried .
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This is an indictable offence which carries a two years' prison sentence.
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Section 4 makes it an offence to carry on investment business in contravention of section 3.
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That offence carries a maximum sentence of 10 years, the same period as appears in this mutiny Bill.
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This offence carries a power of arrest for a constable who witnesses the obstruction.
cause
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This does not mean that we shall shy away from tackling difficult subjects that may cause offence .
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They believe music causes less offence to the listener than direct speech.
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On the down side, domestic broadcasters decided to ban any songs or plays that could cause offence .
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This appointment was apparently predetermined, and it caused some offence in the profession.
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To ignore this can cause great offence .
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Inconsiderate smoking can cause considerable offence to the majority of people who do not smoke.
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I quite understand that this implication has caused offence or distress to some people, for which I apologise.
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It was to cause enormous offence and rock the Empire.
charge
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He risks being charged with an offence that carries up to five years in jail.
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The boy, from Witham, Essex, is too young to be charged with a criminal offence .
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Thousands of their supporters were charged with the same offence .
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He had never been charged with any criminal offence .
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If it results in young Pardy being charged with a lesser offence , Deanes will be highly satisfied.
commit
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A youngster may have committed the offence only once.
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Did W commit an offence under section 1?
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So long as the defendant does not communicate his intention, he commits no offence .
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Any civil servant who talks to his or her spouse about work would be committing an offence .
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They are men who will have committed an offence within the confines of their family and community.
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It was when I was fifteen or sixteen that I committed my first big offence .
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The question is: have they on those facts alone committed an offence ?
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The employer could still commit the offence of using, causing or permitting no insurance.
constitute
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Organising or participating in a march in breach of any such condition constitutes an offence .
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The official reason was that the painting was obscene and constituted an offence against religion.
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Publication to a single person is, impliedly, insufficient to constitute the offence .
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Development carried out in contravention of a stop notice constitutes an offence .
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Thus where the advertisement constitutes a criminal offence , it would seem pointless to complain to the Director General.
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Using a vehicle in contravention of the relevant statutory provisions constitutes a criminal offence .
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We might also note that what constitutes an offence in legal terms also changes over time.
convict
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That is, they must convict him of the offence which they think he probably did not commit.
create
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The whole phrase does not create more than one offence .
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Section 5 of the Act creates a relatively minor offence which is likely to be of considerable practical significance.
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Section 47 creates the offence of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
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Much depends upon the statute creating the offence .
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This creates an offence of assisting a drug trafficker to retain the benefits of his or her proceeds.
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Section 7 does not create an offence which can be the subject matter of an information.
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The Government says it will create a new offence of corporate killing.
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Section 7 does not create an offence .
give
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The King's religious policies, strictly applied by Archbishop Laud, gave offence to the Puritan merchants and artisans.
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Geoff gave no impression of offence having been transmitted or received.
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He would deck himself out in the kind of clothes that would give most offence to her were she alive.
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He was sensitive, vulnerable, amazed when his honest truths gave offence .
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No need to accept every one of the invitations which kept on being delivered because of Amabel's fear of giving offence .
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Glancing at her watch, she wondered if she could slip away soon without giving offence to Edward and Helen.
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He gave further offence to some when he edited the Star and Morning Leader from 1890 to 1898.
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The archbishop came back under papal orders to avoid giving offence to the king.
make
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Arrests were made under a state law which makes it a criminal offence to hide ones face at a protest.
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But section 2 of the 1911 Act went far beyond spying, making it an offence to disclose or receive official information.
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This probably changes the existing law, making the offence more difficult to prove.
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They are suggesting that you put country sports with child abuse and drink driving, to make it a criminal offence .
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We will make it an offence to supply anabolic steroids to minors.
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I know that there has been discussion in the House of Lords, but that makes the offence worse.
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Section 4 makes it an offence to carry on investment business in contravention of section 3.
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The Act makes it an absolute offence for a shopkeeper to sell cigarettes or any other tobacco product to young people.
take
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Corbett loved the brilliant logic delivered so tongue-in-cheek that only those who wished to take offence would be affronted.
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Poor Mrs Sugden considered we were being very superior, and took offence .
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Lane did not take offence at his boss's comment, nor did he slow down.
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It is music for the coach trade, at which only the most high-minded purist is likely to take offence .
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Would Bonaventure return or take offence at not being fed by him and disappear for ever into the stinking alleyways?
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No one will take offence and you might secure win: win.
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The driver would have known it was his first time, didn't take offence at the yelling.
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Will a merchant kinsman take offence if you buy goods from the co-op?
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
bookable offence
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Derby's Coleman was sent off late for his second bookable offence.
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Middlesbrough fans feared the worst when central defender Nicky Mohan was sent off for a second bookable offence.
capital offence/crime
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It is capital crime, and a black disgrace to the races of civilized mankind.
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Loss of privileges in peacetime; in war, a capital offence.
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New capital crimes would include the use of firearms; hostage-taking; torture; sale of drugs to minors and racketeering.
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No government has ever made abortion a capital crime or executed either a pregnant woman or an abortionist for murder.
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The word from Lilongwe now is that Chihana will be charged with sedition, a capital offence.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
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Bates is being tried for offences committed in the early 1990s.
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Davies claimed that he did not know he was committing an offence by accessing the website.
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Driving when drunk is a criminal offence .
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Hewson was arrested for a number of minor offences.
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It is an offence for a shopkeeper to sell alcohol to anyone under 18.
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Motorists can be fined on the spot for minor offences, such as speeding.
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Speeding offences are usually punishable by a fine.
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The bill seeks to make it a criminal offence to inflict cruelty on any animal.
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The number of women convicted of serious offences is still relatively small.
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Travelling on the train without a ticket is an offence .
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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A second offence carries a life ban.
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He attributed the offence to pressure from his friends to carry the scheme out, when it was thought up.
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He would deck himself out in the kind of clothes that would give most offence to her were she alive.
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It became an offence for anyone in charge of children to allow them to bet in public places or to enter brothels.
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It is an offence for companies to recruit a non-disabled worker when they are below the quota.
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Most of its historical anomalies survive in the present offence .
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That phrase is read narrowly to convict the accused of handling rather than theft, handling being a more serious offence than theft.