Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014
| Jurisdiction | England & Wales |
| Citation | 2014 c. 12 |
Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014
2014 CHAPTER 12
An Act to make provision about anti-social behaviour, crime and disorder, including provision about recovery of possession of dwelling-houses; to make provision amending the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, the Police Act 1997, Schedules 7 and 8 to the Terrorism Act 2000, the Extradition Act 2003 and Part 3 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011; to make provision about firearms, about sexual harm and violence and about forced marriage; to make provision about the police, the Independent Police Complaints Commission and the Serious Fraud Office; to make provision about invalid travel documents; to make provision about criminal justice and court fees; and for connected purposes.
[13th March 2014]
Be it enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:-
PART 1
Injunctions
Injunctions
1 Power to grant injunctions
(1) A court may grant an injunction under this section against a person aged 10 or over ("the respondent") if two conditions are met.
(2) The first condition is that the court is satisfied, on the balance of probabilities, that the respondent has engaged or threatens to engage in anti-social behaviour.
(3) The second condition is that the court considers it just and convenient to grant the injunction for the purpose of preventing the respondent from engaging in anti-social behaviour.
(4) An injunction under this section may for the purpose of preventing the respondent from engaging in anti-social behaviour-
(a) prohibit the respondent from doing anything described in the injunction;
(b) require the respondent to do anything described in the injunction.
(5) Prohibitions and requirements in an injunction under this section must, so far as practicable, be such as to avoid-
(a) any interference with the times, if any, at which the respondent normally works or attends school or any other educational establishment;
(b) any conflict with the requirements of any other court order or injunction to which the respondent may be subject.
(6) An injunction under this section must-
(a) specify the period for which it has effect, or
(b) state that it has effect until further order.
In the case of an injunction granted before the respondent has reached the age of 18, a period must be specified and it must be no more than 12 months.
(7) An injunction under this section may specify periods for which particular prohibitions or requirements have effect.
(8) An application for an injunction under this section must be made to-
(a) a youth court, in the case of a respondent aged under 18;
(b) the High Court or the county court, in any other case.
Paragraph (b) is subject to any rules of court made under section 18(2).
2 Meaning of "anti-social behaviour"
(1) In this Part "anti-social behaviour" means-
(a) conduct that has caused, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to any person,
(b) conduct capable of causing nuisance or annoyance to a person in relation to that person's occupation of residential premises, or
(c) conduct capable of causing housing-related nuisance or annoyance to any person.
(2) Subsection (1)(b) applies only where the injunction under section 1 is applied for by-
(a) a housing provider,
(b) a local authority, or
(c) a chief officer of police.
(3) In subsection (1)(c) "housing-related" means directly or indirectly relating to the housing management functions of-
(a) a housing provider, or
(b) a local authority.
(4) For the purposes of subsection (3) the housing management functions of a housing provider or a local authority include-
(a) functions conferred by or under an enactment;
(b) the powers and duties of the housing provider or local authority as the holder of an estate or interest in housing accommodation.
Contents of injunctions
3 Requirements included in injunctions
(1) An injunction under section 1 that includes a requirement must specify the person who is to be responsible for supervising compliance with the requirement.
The person may be an individual or an organisation.
(2) Before including a requirement, the court must receive evidence about its suitability and enforceability from-
(a) the individual to be specified under subsection (1), if an individual is to be specified;
(b) an individual representing the organisation to be specified under subsection (1), if an organisation is to be specified.
(3) Before including two or more requirements, the court must consider their compatibility with each other.
(4) It is the duty of a person specified under subsection (1)-
(a) to make any necessary arrangements in connection with the requirements for which the person has responsibility (the "relevant requirements");
(b) to promote the respondent's compliance with the relevant requirements;
(c) if the person considers that the respondent-
(i) has complied with all the relevant requirements, or
(ii) has failed to comply with a relevant requirement,
to inform the person who applied for the injunction and the appropriate chief officer of police.
(5) In subsection (4)(c) "the appropriate chief officer of police" means-
(a) the chief officer of police for the police area in which it appears to the person specified under subsection (1) that the respondent lives, or
(b) if it appears to that person that the respondent lives in more than one police area, whichever of the relevant chief officers of police that person thinks it most appropriate to inform.
(6) A respondent subject to a requirement included in an injunction under section 1 must-
(a) keep in touch with the person specified under subsection (1) in relation to that requirement, in accordance with any instructions given by that person from time to time;
(b) notify the person of any change of address.
These obligations have effect as requirements of the injunction.
4 Power of arrest
(1) A court granting an injunction under section 1 may attach a power of arrest to a prohibition or requirement of the injunction if the court thinks that-
(a) the anti-social behaviour in which the respondent has engaged or threatens to engage consists of or includes the use or threatened use of violence against other persons, or
(b) there is a significant risk of harm to other persons from the respondent.
"Requirement" here does not include one that has the effect of requiring the respondent to participate in particular activities.
(2) If the court attaches a power of arrest, the injunction may specify a period for which the power is to have effect which is shorter than that of the prohibition or requirement to which it relates.
Applications for injunctions
5 Applications for injunctions
(1) An injunction under section 1 may be granted only on the application of-
(a) a local authority,
(b) a housing provider,
(c) the chief officer of police for a police area,
(d) the chief constable of the British Transport Police Force,
(e) Transport for London,
(f) the Environment Agency,
(g) the Natural Resources Body for Wales,
(h) the Secretary of State exercising security management functions, or a Special Health Authority exercising security management functions on the direction of the Secretary of State, or
(i) the Welsh Ministers exercising security management functions, or a person or body exercising security management functions on the direction of the Welsh Ministers or under arrangements made between the Welsh Ministers and that person or body.
(2) In subsection (1) "security management functions" means-
(a) the Secretary of State's security management functions within the meaning given by section 195(3) of the National Health Service Act 2006;
(b) the functions of the Welsh Ministers corresponding to those functions.
(3) A housing provider may make an application only if the application concerns anti-social behaviour that directly or indirectly relates to or affects its housing management functions.
(4) For the purposes of subsection (3) the housing management functions of a housing provider include-
(a) functions conferred by or under an enactment;
(b) the powers and duties of the housing provider as the holder of an estate or interest in housing accommodation.
(5) The Secretary of State may by order-
(a) amend this section;
(b) amend section 20 in relation to expressions used in this section.
6 Applications without notice
(1) An application for an injunction under section 1 may be made without notice being given to the respondent.
(2) If an application is made without notice the court must either-
(a) adjourn the proceedings and grant an interim injunction (see section 7), or
(b) adjourn the proceedings without granting an interim injunction, or
(c) dismiss the application.
Interim injunctions
7 Interim injunctions
(1) This section applies where the court adjourns the hearing of an application (whether made...
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