Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (c. 29)

Part 4 N.I. Confiscation: Northern Ireland

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 Pt. 4 functions of receiver extended (24.2.2003) by Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (Enforcement in different parts of the United Kingdom) Order 2002 (S.I. 2002/3133), arts. 1, 4(1)(a)

C2 Pt. 4 applied by S.I. 1989/1341 (N.I. 12), arts. 57(5B), 59(8B) (as substituted (24.3.2003) by Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (c. 29), Supreme Court s. 458(1), Sch. 11 para. 19(2)(3); S.I. 2003/333, art. 2, Sch.)

C3 Pt. 4: power to amend conferred (1.7.2005) by Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15), ss. 97(3), 178(8); S.I. 2005/1521, art. 3(1)(a)

Defendant absconds N.I.

177 Defendant convicted or committed N.I.

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

(2) The first condition is that a defendant absconds after—

(a) he is convicted of an offence or offences in proceedings before the Crown Court, or

(b) he is committed to the Crown Court in respect of an offence or offences under section 218 below (committal with a view to a confiscation order being considered).

(3) The second condition is that—

(a) the prosecutor F1 ... applies to the Crown Court to proceed under this section, and

(b) the court believes it is appropriate for it to do so.

(4) If this section applies the court must proceed under section 156 in the same way as it must proceed if the two conditions there mentioned are satisfied; but this is subject to subsection (5).

(5) If the court proceeds under section 156 as applied by this section, this Part has effect with these modifications—

(a) any person the court believes is likely to be affected by an order under section 156 is entitled to appear before the court and make representations;

(b) the court must not make an order under section 156 unless the prosecutor F2 ... has taken reasonable steps to contact the defendant;

(c) section 156(9) applies as if the reference to subsection (2) were to subsection (2) of this section;

(d) sections 160, 166(4), 167 and 168 must be ignored;

(e) sections 169, 170 and 171 must be ignored while the defendant is still an absconder.

(6) Once the defendant has ceased to be an absconder section 169 has effect as if subsection (1)(a) read—

“(a) at a time when the first condition in section 177 was satisfied the court did not proceed under section 156,.”

(7) If the court does not believe it is appropriate for it to proceed under this section, once the defendant ceases to be an absconder section 169 has effect as if subsection (1)(b) read—

“(b) there is evidence which was not available to the prosecutor F3 ... on the relevant date,.”

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 177(3)(a) repealed (1.4.2008) by Serious Crime Act 2007 (c. 27), s. 94(1), Sch. 8 para. 48(2), Sch. 14; S.I. 2008/755, art. 2(1)(a)(d) (with arts. 3-14)

F2 Words in s. 177(5)(b) repealed (1.4.2008) by Serious Crime Act 2007 (c. 27), s. 94(1), Sch. 8 para. 48(3), Sch. 14; S.I. 2008/755, art. 2(1)(a)(d) (with arts. 3-14)

F3 Words in s. 177(7) repealed (1.4.2008) by Serious Crime Act 2007 (c. 27), s. 94(1), Sch. 8 para. 48(4), Sch. 14; S.I. 2008/755, art. 2(1)(a)(d) (with arts. 3-14)

Commencement Information

I1 S. 177 in force at 24.3.2003 by S.I. 2003/333, art. 2, Sch. (with arts. 4(2), 10-13)