 Common to all crimes against the person is the infringement of the right to bodily integrity . It extends to the touching of clothing , for example , and where no physical harm actually results . However , if all touchings were criminalised , this would interfere with the right to liberty . It is the very touching , and not the harm , that is the violation of principle . This is related to the right to privacy under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights . The central statute on this topic is Offences against the Person Act 1861 , which brought together a multitude of difference offences , with much overlap and inconsistent terminology . These include both the actual infliction and the threat of violence . Although criticised , the Act has not been replaced . 
