Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (c. 29)

(The document as of February, 2008)

-- Back --

Page 11

Pages: P.1 | P.2 | P.3 | P.4 | P.5 | P.6 | P.7 | P.8 | P.9 | P.10 | P.11 | P.12 | P.13 | P.14 | P.15 | P.16 | P.17 | P.18 | P.19 | P.20 | P.21 | P.22 | P.23 | P.24 | P.25 | P.26 | P.27 | P.28 | P.29 | P.30 | P.31

(a) deciding whether he has benefited from his general criminal conduct, and

(b) deciding his benefit from the conduct.

(2) The first assumption is that any property transferred to the defendant at any time after the relevant day was obtained by him--

(a) as a result of his general criminal conduct, and

(b) at the earliest time he appears to have held it.

(3) The second assumption is that any property held by the defendant at any time after the date of conviction was obtained by him--

(a) as a result of his general criminal conduct, and

(b) at the earliest time he appears to have held it.

(4) The third assumption is that any expenditure incurred by the defendant at any time after the relevant day was met from property obtained by him as a result of his general criminal conduct.

(5) The fourth assumption is that, for the purpose of valuing any property obtained (or assumed to have been obtained) by the defendant, he obtained it free of any other interests in it.

(6) But the court must not make a required assumption in relation to particular property or expenditure if--

(a) the assumption is shown to be incorrect, or

(b) there would be a serious risk of injustice if the assumption were made.

(7) If the court does not make one or more of the required assumptions it must state its reasons.

(8) The relevant day is the first day of the period of six years ending with--

(a) the day when proceedings for the offence concerned were started against the defendant, or

(b) if there are two or more offences and proceedings for them were started on different days, the earliest of those days.

(9) But if a confiscation order mentioned in section 158(3)(c) has been made against the defendant at any time during the period mentioned in subsection (8)--

(a) the relevant day is the day when the defendant's benefit was calculated for the purposes of the last such confiscation order;

(b) the second assumption does not apply to any property which was held by him on or before the relevant day.

(10) The date of conviction is--

(a) the date on which the defendant was convicted of the offence concerned, or

(b) if there are two or more offences and the convictions were on different dates, the date of the latest.

161 Time for payment

(1) The amount ordered to be paid under a confiscation order must be paid on the making of the order; but this is subject to the following provisions of this section.

(2) If the defendant shows that he needs time to pay the amount ordered to be paid, the court making the confiscation order may make an order allowing payment to be made in a specified period.

(3) The specified period--

(a) must start with the day on which the confiscation order is made, and

(b) must not exceed six months.

(4) If within the specified period the defendant applies to the Crown Court for the period to be extended and the court believes there are exceptional circumstances, it may make an order extending the period.

(5) The extended period--

(a) must start with the day on which the confiscation order is made, and

(b) must not exceed 12 months.

(6) An order under subsection (4)--

(a) may be made after the end of the specified period, but

(b) must not be made after the end of the period of 12 months starting with the day on which the confiscation order is made.

(7) The court must not make an order under subsection (2) or (4) unless it gives--

(a) the prosecutor, or

(b) if the Director was appointed as the enforcement authority for the order under section 184, the Director,

an opportunity to make representations.

162 Interest on unpaid sums

(1) If the amount required to be paid by a person under a confiscation order is not paid when it is required to be paid, he must pay interest on the amount for the period for which it remains unpaid.

(2) The rate of interest is the same rate as that for the time being applying to a money judgment of the High Court.

(3) For the purposes of this section no amount is required to be paid under a confiscation order if--

(a) an application has been made under section 161(4),

(b) the application has not been determined by the court, and

(4) In applying this Part the amount of the interest must be treated as part of the amount to be paid under the confiscation order.

163 Effect of order on court's other powers

(1) If the court makes a confiscation order it must proceed as mentioned in subsections (2) and (4) in respect of the offence or offences concerned.

(2) The court must take account of the confiscation order before--

(a) it imposes a fine on the defendant, or

(b) it makes an order falling within subsection (3).

(3) These orders fall within this subsection--

(a) an order involving payment by the defendant, other than an order under Article 14 of the Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 1994 (S.I. 1994/2795 (N.I. 15)) (compensation orders);

(b) an order under section 27 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (c. 38) (forfeiture orders);

(c) an order under Article 11 of the Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 1994 (S.I. 1994/2795 (N.I. 15)) (deprivation orders);

(d) an order under section 23 or 111 of the Terrorism Act 2000 (c. 11) (forfeiture orders).

(4) Subject to subsection (2), the court must leave the confiscation order out of account in deciding the appropriate sentence for the defendant.

(5) Subsection (6) applies if--

(a) a court makes both a confiscation order and an order for the payment of compensation under Article 14 of the Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 1994 (S.I. 1994/2795 (N.I. 15)) against the same person in the same proceedings, and

(b) the court believes he will not have sufficient means to satisfy both the orders in full.

(6) In such a case the court must direct that so much of the compensation as it specifies is to be paid out of any sums recovered under the confiscation order; and the amount it specifies must be the amount it believes will not be recoverable because of the insufficiency of the person's means.

Procedural matters

164 Postponement

(1) The court may--

(a) proceed under section 161 before it sentences the defendant for the offence (or any of the offences) concerned, or

(b) postpone proceedings under section 161 for a specified period.

(2) A period of postponement may be extended.

(3) A period of postponement (including one as extended) must not end after the permitted period ends.

(4) But subsection (3) does not apply if there are exceptional circumstances.

(5) The permitted period is the period of two years starting with the date of conviction.

(6) But if--

(a) the defendant appeals against his conviction for the offence (or any of the offences) concerned, and

(b) the period of three months (starting with the day when the appeal is determined or otherwise disposed of) ends after the period found under subsection (5),

the permitted period is that period of three months.

(7) A postponement or extension may be made--

(a) on application by the defendant;

(b) on application by the prosecutor or the Director (as the case may be);

(8) If--

(a) proceedings are postponed for a period, and

(b) an application to extend the period is made before it ends,

the application may be granted even after the period ends.

(9) The date of conviction is--

(a) the date on which the defendant was convicted of the offence concerned, or

(b) if there are two or more offences and the convictions were on different dates, the date of the latest.

(10) References to appealing include references to applying under Article 146 of the Magistrates' Courts (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 (S.I. 1981/1675 (N.I. 26)) (statement of case).

(11) A confiscation order must not be quashed only on the ground that there was a defect or omission in the procedure connected with the application for or the granting of a postponement.

(12) But subsection (11) does not apply if before it made the confiscation order the court--

(a) imposed a fine on the defendant;

(b) made an order falling within section 163(3);

(c) made an order under Article 14 of the Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 1994 (S.I. 1994/2795 (N.I. 15)) (compensation orders).

165 Effect of postponement

(1) If the court postpones proceedings under section 156 it may proceed to sentence the defendant for the offence (or any of the offences) concerned.

(2) In sentencing the defendant for the offence (or any of the offences) concerned in the postponement period the court must not--

(a) impose a fine on him,

(b) make an order falling within section 163(3), or

(c) make an order for the payment of compensation under Article 14 of the Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 1994 (S.I. 1994/2795 (N.I. 15)).

(3) If the court sentences the defendant for the offence (or any of the offences) concerned in the postponement period, after that period ends it may vary the sentence by--

(a) imposing a fine on him,

(b) making an order falling within section 163(3), or

(c) making an order for the payment of compensation under Article 14 of the Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 1994.

(4) But the court may proceed under subsection (3) only within the period of 28 days which starts with the last day of the postponement period.

(5) For the purposes of--

(a) section 16(1) of the Criminal Appeal (Northern Ireland) Act 1980 (c. 47) (time limit for notice of appeal or of application for leave to appeal), and

(b) paragraph 1 of Schedule 3 to the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (c. 33) (time limit for notice of application for leave to refer a case under section 36 of that Act),

the sentence must be regarded as imposed or made on the day on which it is varied under subsection (3).

(6) If the court proceeds to sentence the defendant under subsection (1), section 156 has effect as if the defendant's particular criminal conduct included conduct which constitutes offences which the court has taken into consideration in deciding his sentence for the offence or offences concerned.

(7) The postponement period is the period for which proceedings under section 156 are postponed.

166 Statement of information

(1) If the court is proceeding under section 156 in a case where section 156(3)(a) applies, the prosecutor or the Director (as the case may be) must give the court a statement of information within the period the court orders.

(2) If the court is proceeding under section 156 in a case where section 156(3)(b) applies and it orders the prosecutor to give it a statement of information, the prosecutor must give it such a statement within the period the court orders.

(3) If the prosecutor or the Director (as the case may be) believes the defendant has a criminal lifestyle the statement of information is a statement of matters the prosecutor or the Director believes are relevant in connection with deciding these issues--

(a) whether the defendant has a criminal lifestyle;

(b) whether he has benefited from his general criminal conduct;

(4) A statement under subsection (3) must include information the prosecutor or Director believes is relevant--

(a) in connection with the making by the court of a required assumption under section 160;

(b) for the purpose of enabling the court to decide if the circumstances are such that it must not make such an assumption.

(5) If the prosecutor or the Director (as the case may be) does not believe the defendant has a criminal lifestyle the statement of information is a statement of matters the prosecutor or the Director believes are relevant in connection with deciding these issues--

(a) whether the defendant has benefited from his particular criminal conduct;

(b) his benefit from the conduct.

(6) If the prosecutor or the Director gives the court a statement of information--

(a) he may at any time give the court a further statement of information;

(b) he must give the court a further statement of information if it orders him to do so, and he must give it within the period the court orders.

(7) If the court makes an order under this section it may at any time vary it by making another one.

167 Defendant's response to statement of information

(1) If the prosecutor or the Director gives the court a statement of information and a copy is served on the defendant, the court may order the defendant--

(a) to indicate (within the period it orders) the extent to which he accepts each allegation in the statement, and

(b) so far as he does not accept such an allegation, to give particulars of any matters he proposes to rely on.

(2) If the defendant accepts to any extent an allegation in a statement of information the court may treat his acceptance as conclusive of the matters to which it relates for the purpose of deciding the issues referred to in section 166(3) or (5) (as the case may be).

(3) If the defendant fails in any respect to comply with an order under subsection (1) he may be treated for the purposes of subsection (2) as accepting every allegation in the statement of information apart from--

(a) any allegation in respect of which he has complied with the requirement;

(b) any allegation that he has benefited from his general or particular criminal conduct.

(4) For the purposes of this section an allegation may be accepted or particulars may be given in a manner ordered by the court.

(5) If the court makes an order under this section it may at any time vary it by making another one.

(6) No acceptance under this section that the defendant has benefited from conduct is admissible in evidence in proceedings for an offence.

168 Provision of information by defendant

(1) This section applies if--

(a) the court is proceeding under section 156 in a case where section 156(3)(a) applies, or

(b) it is proceeding under section 156 in a case where section 156(3)(b) applies or it is considering whether to proceed.

(2) For the purpose of obtaining information to help it in carrying out its functions the court may at any time order the defendant to give it information specified in the order.

(3) An order under this section may require all or a specified part of the information to be given in a specified manner and before a specified date.

(4) If the defendant fails without reasonable excuse to comply with an order under this section the court may draw such inference as it believes is appropriate.

(5) Subsection (4) does not affect any power of the court to deal with the defendant in respect of a failure to comply with an order under this section.

(6) If the prosecutor or the Director (as the case may be) accepts to any extent an allegation made by the defendant--

(a) in giving information required by an order under this section, or

(b) in any other statement given to the court in relation to any matter relevant to deciding the available amount under section 159,

the court may treat the acceptance as conclusive of the matters to which it relates.

(7) For the purposes of this section an allegation may be accepted in a manner ordered by the court.

(8) If the court makes an order under this section it may at any time vary it by making another one.

(9) No information given under this section which amounts to an admission by the defendant that he has benefited from criminal conduct is admissible in evidence in proceedings for an offence.

Reconsideration

169 No order made: reconsideration of case

(1) This section applies if--

(a) the first condition in section 156 is satisfied but no court has proceeded under that section,

(b) there is evidence which was not available to the prosecutor on the relevant date,

(c) before the end of the period of six years starting with the date of conviction the prosecutor or the Director applies to the Crown Court to consider the evidence, and

(d) after considering the evidence the court believes it is appropriate for it to proceed under section 156.

(2) If this section applies the court must proceed under section 156, and when it does so subsections (3) to (8) below apply.

(3) If the court has already sentenced the defendant for the offence (or any of the offences) concerned, section 156 has effect as if his particular criminal conduct included conduct which constitutes offences which the court has taken into consideration in deciding his sentence for the offence or offences concerned.

(4) Section 158(2) does not apply, and the rules applying instead are that the court must--

(a) take account of conduct occurring before the relevant date;

(b) take account of property obtained before that date;

(c) take account of property obtained on or after that date if it was obtained as a result of or in connection with conduct occurring before that date.

(5) In section 160--

(a) the first and second assumptions do not apply with regard to property first held by the defendant on or after the relevant date;

(b) the third assumption does not apply with regard to expenditure incurred by him on or after that date;

(c) the fourth assumption does not apply with regard to property obtained (or assumed to have been obtained) by him on or after that date.

(6) The recoverable amount for the purposes of section 156 is such amount as--

(a) the court believes is just, but

(b) does not exceed the amount found under section 157.

(7) In arriving at the just amount the court must have regard in particular to--

(a) the amount found under section 157;

(b) any fine imposed on the defendant in respect of the offence (or any of the offences) concerned;

(c) any order which falls within section 163(3) and has been made against him in respect of the offence (or any of the offences) concerned and has not already been taken into account by the court in deciding what is the free property held by him for the purposes of section 159;

(d) any order which has been made against him in respect of the offence (or any of the offences) concerned under Article 14 of the Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 1994 (S.I. 1994/2795 (N.I. 15)) (compensation orders).

(8) If an order for the payment of compensation under Article 14 of the Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 1994 has been made against the defendant in respect of the offence or offences concerned, section 163(5) and (6) above do not apply.

(9) The relevant date is--

(a) if the court made a decision not to proceed under section 156, the date of the decision;

(b) if the court did not make such a decision, the date of conviction.

(10) The date of conviction is--

(a) the date on which the defendant was convicted of the offence concerned, or

(b) if there are two or more offences and the convictions were on different dates, the date of the latest.

170 No order made: reconsideration of benefit

(1) This section applies if the following two conditions are satisfied.

(2) The first condition is that in proceeding under section 156 the court has decided that--

(a) the defendant has a criminal lifestyle but has not benefited from his general criminal conduct, or

(b) the defendant does not have a criminal lifestyle and has not benefited from his particular criminal conduct.

(3) If the court proceeded under section 156 because the Director asked it to, the second condition is that--

(a) the Director has evidence which was not available to him when the court decided that the defendant had not benefited from his general or particular criminal conduct,

(b) before the end of the period of six years starting with the date of conviction the Director applies to the Crown Court to consider the evidence, and

(c) after considering the evidence the court concludes that it would have decided that the defendant had benefited from his general or particular criminal conduct (as the case may be) if the evidence had been available to it.

(4) If the court proceeded under section 156 because the prosecutor asked it to or because it believed it was appropriate for it to do so, the second condition is that--

(a) there is evidence which was not available to the prosecutor when the court decided that the defendant had not benefited from his general or particular criminal conduct,

(b) before the end of the period of six years starting with the date of conviction the prosecutor or the Director applies to the Crown Court to consider the evidence, and

(5) If this section applies the court--

(a) must make a fresh decision under section 156(4)(b) or (c) whether the defendant has benefited from his general or particular criminal conduct (as the case may be);

(b) may make a confiscation order under that section.

(6) Subsections (7) to (12) below apply if the court proceeds under section 156 in pursuance of this section.

(7) If the court has already sentenced the defendant for the offence (or any of the offences) concerned, section 156 has effect as if his particular criminal conduct included conduct which constitutes offences which the court has taken into consideration in deciding his sentence for the offence or offences concerned.

(8) Section 158(2) does not apply, and the rules applying instead are that the court must--

(a) take account of conduct occurring before the date of the original decision that the defendant had not benefited from his general or particular criminal conduct;

(b) take account of property obtained before that date;

(c) take account of property obtained on or after that date if it was obtained as a result of or in connection with conduct occurring before that date.

(9) In section 160--

(a) the first and second assumptions do not apply with regard to property first held by the defendant on or after the date of the original decision that the defendant had not benefited from his general or particular criminal conduct;

(b) the third assumption does not apply with regard to expenditure incurred by him on or after that date;

(c) the fourth assumption does not apply with regard to property obtained (or assumed to have been obtained) by him on or after that date.

(10) The recoverable amount for the purposes of section 156 is such amount as--

(a) the court believes is just, but

(b) does not exceed the amount found under section 157.

(11) In arriving at the just amount the court must have regard in particular to--

(a) the amount found under section 157;

(b) any fine imposed on the defendant in respect of the offence (or any of the offences) concerned;

(12) If an order for the payment of compensation under Article 14 of the Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 1994 has been made against the defendant in respect of the offence or offences concerned, section 163(5) and (6) above do not apply.

(13) The date of conviction is the date found by applying section 169(10).

171 Order made: reconsideration of benefit

(1) This section applies if--

(a) a court has made a confiscation order,

(b) there is evidence which was not available to the prosecutor or the Director at the relevant time,

(c) the prosecutor or the Director believes that if the court were to find the amount of the defendant's benefit in pursuance of this section it would exceed the relevant amount,

(d) before the end of the period of six years starting with the date of conviction the prosecutor or the Director applies to the Crown Court to consider the evidence, and

(e) after considering the evidence the court believes it is appropriate for it to proceed under this section.

(2) The court must make a new calculation of the defendant's benefit from the conduct concerned, and when it does so subsections (3) to (6) below apply.

(3) If a court has already sentenced the defendant for the offence (or any of the offences) concerned section 156 has effect as if his particular criminal conduct included conduct which constitutes offences which the court has taken into consideration in deciding his sentence for the offence or offences concerned.

(4) Section 158(2) does not apply, and the rules applying instead are that the court must--

(a) take account of conduct occurring up to the time it decided the defendant's benefit for the purposes of the confiscation order;

(b) take account of property obtained up to that time;

(c) take account of property obtained after that time if it was obtained as a result of or in connection with conduct occurring before that time.

(5) In applying section 158(5) the confiscation order must be ignored.

(6) In section 160--

(a) the first and second assumptions do not apply with regard to property first held by the defendant after the time the court decided his benefit for the purposes of the confiscation order;

(b) the third assumption does not apply with regard to expenditure incurred by him after that time;

(c) the fourth assumption does not apply with regard to property obtained (or assumed to have been obtained) by him after that time.

(7) If the amount found under the new calculation of the defendant's benefit exceeds the relevant amount the court--

(a) must make a new calculation of the recoverable amount for the purposes of section 156, and

(b) if it exceeds the amount required to be paid under the confiscation order, may vary the order by substituting for the amount required to be paid such amount as it believes is just.

(8) In applying subsection (7)(a) the court must--

(a) take the new calculation of the defendant's benefit;

(b) apply section 159 as if references to the time the confiscation order is made were to the time of the new calculation of the recoverable amount and as if references to the date of the confiscation order were to the date of that new calculation.

(9) In applying subsection (7)(b) the court must have regard in particular to--

(a) any fine imposed on the defendant for the offence (or any of the offences) concerned;

(b) any order which falls within section 163(3) and has been made against him in respect of the offence (or any of the offences) concerned and has not already been taken into account by the court in deciding what is the free property held by him for the purposes of section 159;

(c) any order which has been made against him in respect of the offence (or any of the offences) concerned under Article 14 of the Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 1994 (S.I. 1994/2795 (N.I. 15)) (compensation orders).

-- Back --

Stat