Serious Crime Act 2007
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
| Citation | 2007 c. 27 |
Serious Crime Act 2007
2007 Chapter 27
An Act to make provision about serious crime prevention orders; to create offences in respect of the encouragement or assistance of crime; to enable information to be shared or processed to prevent fraud or for purposes relating to proceeds of crime; to enable data matching to be conducted both in relation to fraud and for other purposes; to transfer functions of the Director of the Assets Recovery Agency to the Serious Organised Crime Agency and other persons and to make further provision in connection with the abolition of the Agency and the office of Director; to amend the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 in relation to certain investigations and in relation to accredited financial investigators, management receivers and enforcement receivers, cash recovery proceedings and search warrants; to extend stop and search powers in connection with incidents involving serious violence; to make amendments relating to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs in connection with the regulation of investigatory powers; and for connected purposes.
[30th October 2007]
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
Serious Crime Prevention Orders
General
1 Serious crime prevention orders
(1) The High Court in England and Wales may make an order if—
(a) it is satisfied that a person has been involved in serious crime (whether in England and Wales or elsewhere); and
(b) it has reasonable grounds to believe that the order would protect the public by preventing, restricting or disrupting involvement by the person in serious crime in England and Wales.
(2) The High Court in Northern Ireland may make an order if—
(a) it is satisfied that a person has been involved in serious crime (whether in Northern Ireland or elsewhere); and
(b) it has reasonable grounds to believe that the order would protect the public by preventing, restricting or disrupting involvement by the person in serious crime in Northern Ireland.
(3) An order under this section may contain—
(a) such prohibitions, restrictions or requirements; and
(b) such other terms;
as the court considers appropriate for the purpose of protecting the public by preventing, restricting or disrupting involvement by the person concerned in serious crime in England and Wales or (as the case may be) Northern Ireland.
(4) The powers of the court in respect of an order under this section are subject to sections 6 to 15 (safeguards).
(5) In this Part "serious crime prevention order" means—
(a) an order under this section; or
(b) an order under section 19 (corresponding order of the Crown Court on conviction).
(6) For the purposes of this Part references to the person who is the subject of a serious crime prevention order are references to the person against whom the public are to be protected.
2 Involvement in serious crime: England and Wales orders
(1) For the purposes of this Part, a person has been involved in serious crime in England and Wales if he—
(a) has committed a serious offence in England and Wales;
(b) has facilitated the commission by another person of a serious offence in England and Wales; or
(c) has conducted himself in a way that was likely to facilitate the commission by himself or another person of a serious offence in England and Wales (whether or not such an offence was committed).
(2) In this Part "a serious offence in England and Wales" means an offence under the law of England and Wales which, at the time when the court is considering the application or matter in question—
(a) is specified, or falls within a description specified, in Part 1 of Schedule 1; or
(b) is one which, in the particular circumstances of the case, the court considers to be sufficiently serious to be treated for the purposes of the application or matter as if it were so specified.
(3) For the purposes of this Part, involvement in serious crime in England and Wales is any one or more of the following—
(a) the commission of a serious offence in England and Wales;
(b) conduct which facilitates the commission by another person of a serious offence in England and Wales;
(c) conduct which is likely to facilitate the commission, by the person whose conduct it is or another person, of a serious offence in England and Wales (whether or not such an offence is committed).
(4) For the purposes of section 1(1)(a), a person has been involved in serious crime elsewhere than in England and Wales if he—
(a) has committed a serious offence in a country outside England and Wales;
(b) has facilitated the commission by another person of a serious offence in a country outside England and Wales; or
(c) has conducted himself in a way that was likely to facilitate the commission by himself or another person of a serious offence in a country outside England and Wales (whether or not such an offence was committed).
(5) In subsection (4) "a serious offence in a country outside England and Wales" means an offence under the law of a country outside England and Wales which, at the time when the court is considering the application or matter in question—
(a) would be an offence under the law of England and Wales if committed in or as regards England and Wales; and
(b) either—
(i) would be an offence which is specified, or falls within a description specified, in Part 1 of Schedule 1 if committed in or as regards England and Wales; or
(ii) is conduct which, in the particular circumstances of the case, the court considers to be sufficiently serious to be treated for the purposes of the application or matter as if it meets the test in sub-paragraph (i).
(6) The test in subsection (4) is to be used instead of the test in section 3(1) in deciding for the purposes of section 1(1)(a) whether a person has been involved in serious crime in Northern Ireland.
(7) An act punishable under the law of a country outside the United Kingdom constitutes an offence under that law for the purposes of subsection (5), however it is described in that law.
3 Involvement in serious crime: Northern Ireland orders
(1) For the purposes of this Part, a person has been involved in serious crime in Northern Ireland if he—
(a) has committed a serious offence in Northern Ireland;
(b) has facilitated the commission by another person of a serious offence in Northern Ireland; or
(c) has conducted himself in a way that was likely to facilitate the commission by himself or another person of a serious offence in Northern Ireland (whether or not such an offence was committed).
(2) In this Part "a serious offence in Northern Ireland" means an offence under the law of Northern Ireland which, at the time when the court is considering the application or matter in question—
(a) is specified, or falls within a description specified, in Part 2 of Schedule 1; or
(b) is one which, in the particular circumstances of the case, the court considers to be sufficiently serious to be treated for the purposes of the application or matter as if it were so specified.
(3) For the purposes of this Part, involvement in serious crime in Northern Ireland is any one or more of the following—
(a) the commission of a serious offence in Northern Ireland;
(b) conduct which facilitates the commission by another person of a serious offence in Northern Ireland;
(c) conduct which is likely to facilitate the commission, by the person whose conduct it is or another person, of a serious offence in Northern Ireland (whether or not such an offence is committed).
(4) For the purposes of section 1(2)(a), a person has been involved in serious crime elsewhere than in Northern Ireland if he—
(a) has committed a serious offence in a country outside Northern Ireland;
(b) has facilitated the commission by another person of a serious offence in a country outside Northern Ireland; or
(c) has conducted himself in a way that was likely to facilitate the commission by himself or another person of a serious offence in a country outside Northern Ireland (whether or not such an offence was committed).
(5) In subsection (4) "a serious offence in a country outside Northern Ireland" means an offence under the law of a country outside Northern Ireland which, at the time when the court is considering the application or matter in question—
(a) would be an offence under the law of Northern Ireland if committed in or as regards Northern Ireland; and
(b) either—
(i) would be an offence which is specified, or falls within a description specified, in Part 2 of Schedule 1 if committed in or as regards Northern Ireland; or
(ii) is conduct which, in the particular circumstances of the case, the court considers to be sufficiently serious to be treated for the purposes of the application or matter as if it meets the test in sub-paragraph (i).
(6) The test in subsection (4) is to be used instead of the test in section 2(1) in deciding for the purposes of section 1(2)(a) whether a person has been involved in serious crime in England and Wales.
(7) An act punishable under the law of a country outside the United Kingdom constitutes an offence under that law for the purposes of subsection (5), however it is described in that law.
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