Is a breach of contract ever a crime in England? Is there a doctrine similar to that of s. 422 of the Canadian Criminal Code (see below). Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Criminal breach of contract
422. (1) Every one who wilfully breaks a contract, knowing or having reasonable cause to believe that the probable consequences of doing so, whether alone or in combination with others, will be
(a) to endanger human life,
(b) to cause serious bodily injury,
(c) to expose valuable property, real or personal, to destruction or serious injury,
(d) to deprive the inhabitants of a city or place, or part thereof, wholly or to a great extent, of their supply of light, power, gas or water, or
(e) to delay or prevent the running of any locomotive engine, tender, freight or passenger train or car, on a railway that is a common carrier,
is guilty of
(f) an indictable offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years, or
(g) an offence punishable on summary conviction.
