The Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2015

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Rules)

These Rules make the following amendments to the Criminal Procedure Rules 2014, S.I. 2014/1610:

Rule	Amendment
Part 3	Rules 3.9 and 3.13 are amended to provide for a ‘ground rules hearing’ at which the court may give directions for the appropriate treatment and questioning of, in particular, a vulnerable witness or defendant.
Part 6	Rules 6.1, 6.14, 6.15, 6.16, 6.17, 6.18, 6.19 and 6.22 are amended to provide for (i) applications for investigation orders under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (External Investigations) Order 2014 and (ii) applications to Crown Court judges for production orders in detained cash investigations, when section 66 of the Policing and Crime Act 2009 comes into force.
Part 14	Rules 14.1 and 14.2 are amended to omit references to committal for trial, following the abolition of that procedure.
Part 17	Rule 17.21(4) is amended to clarify and correct two sub-paragraphs.
Part 39	Rule 39.1 is amended to correct a reference to the county court.
Part 50	The Part is renamed and rules 50.1, 50.2, 50.4 and 50.5 are amended (i) to define the scope of the Part, (ii) to omit references to drinking banning orders, which have been repealed, and (iii) to provide for applications to vary orders by the Director of the Serious Fraud Office.
Part 52	Rules 52.1, 52.7, 52.8 and 52.9 are amended to provide for applications made under regulations that supplement the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007.
Part 58	Rules 58.1 to 58.11 are amended to incorporate procedures required by the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and to include notes to the rules. Rules 58.13 to 58.15 are added to provide for applications and appeals under sections 67A to 67D of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, when they come into force.
Part 59	The Part is renamed and rules 59.7 to 59.11 are added to provide for applications and appeals under sections 47A to 47S of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, when they come into force.
Part 63	A new rule 63.7 is added to require notice when further evidence is to be introduced on an appeal to the Crown Court from a magistrates’ court.
Part 76	Rule 76.11 is amended to provide for some costs assessments under that rule to be carried out by any member of the staff of the Lord Chancellor.

The amendments to Parts 6, 17, 39, 52 and 76, and to the preamble, come into force on 2nd February 2015 and the other changes made by these Rules come into force on 6th April 2015.