HC Deb 06 March 1991 vol 187 cc312-3

'.—(1) Subject to subsection (2) below, a confiscation order shall be made by the court before sentencing or otherwise dealing with the defendant for the offence or offences in respect of which he is before the court.

(2) If a court considers that it requires further information before making a confiscation order against a defendant, it may, subject to subsection (3) below, postpone making such an order for a period not exceeding six months after the date of conviction for the purpose of enabling that information to be obtained; but, without prejudice to Article 11 of the Treatment of Offenders (Northern Ireland) Order 1989, the court may notwithstanding such postponement proceed to sentence or to otherwise deal with the defendant in respect of the conviction.

(3) If during the period of postponement notice of appeal or of application for leave to appeal is given under section 16(1) of the Criminal Appeal (Northern Ireland) Act 1980 the court may, on the application of the prosecution, extend that period to a date up to three months after the date of the determination of the appeal.

(4) A court shall not impose any fine or make an order such as is mentioned in subsection (5)(b) or (c) below before a confiscation order is made.

(5) Where a court makes a confiscation order against a defendant in any proceedings, the court shall, in respect of any offence of which he is convicted in those proceedings, take account of the order before—

  1. (a) imposing any fine on him; or
  2. (b) making any order involving any payment by him, other than an order under Article 3 of the Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 1980 (compensation orders); or
  3. (c) making any order under Article 7 of that Order (deprivation orders),
but subject to that shall leave the order out of account in determining the appropriate sentence or other manner of dealing with him.

(6) No statutory provision restricting the power of a court dealing with an offender in a particular way from dealing with him also in any other way shall by reason only of the making of a confiscation order restrict the court from dealing with an offender in any way it considers appropriate in respect of a relevant offence.

(7) Where—

  1. (a) a court makes both a confiscation order and an order for the payment of compensation under Article 3 of the Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 1980 against the same person in the same proceedings; and
  2. (b) it appears to the court that he will not have sufficient means to satisfy both the orders in full,
it shall direct that so much of the compensation as will not in its opinion be recoverable because of the insufficiency of his means shall be paid out of any sums recovered under the confiscation order.

(8) Where a court decides not to make a confiscation order against a defendant convicted by it of a relevant offence the court shall state its reasons for that decision.'—[Mr. Brooke.]

Brought up, read the First and Second time, and added to the Bill.

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