Source: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2002/29/part/5/chapter/2/crossheading/property-freezing-orders-england-and-wales-and-northern-ireland/data.xht?view=snippet&wrap=true
Timestamp: 2020-01-17 15:48:08
Document Index: 270418209

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 5', 'art 1', 'art. 3', 'art. 6', 'art. 2', 'art. 17']

Part 5U.K.Civil recovery of the proceeds etc. of unlawful conduct
Chapter 2U.K.Civil recovery in the High Court or Court of Session
C1Pt. 5 Ch. 2: power to modify conferred (25.4.2013) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(11)(f), Sch. 25 para. 7
[F1Property freezing orders (England and Wales and Northern Ireland)U.K.
245AApplication for property freezing orderU.K.
(1)Where the enforcement authority may take proceedings for a recovery order in the High Court, the authority may apply to the court for a property freezing order (whether before or after starting the proceedings).
(2)A property freezing order is an order that—
(a)specifies or describes the property to which it applies, and
(b)subject to any exclusions (see section 245C(1)(b) and (2)), prohibits any person to whose property the order applies from in any way dealing with the property.
(3)An application for a property freezing order may be made without notice if the circumstances are such that notice of the application would prejudice any right of the enforcement authority to obtain a recovery order in respect of any property.
(4)The court may make a property freezing order on an application if it is satisfied that the condition in subsection (5) is met and, where applicable, that the condition in subsection (6) is met.
(5)The first condition is that there is a good arguable case—
(a)that the property to which the application for the order relates is or includes recoverable property, and
(b)that, if any of it is not recoverable property, it is associated property.
(6)The second condition is that, if—
(a)the property to which the application for the order relates includes property alleged to be associated property, and
(b)the enforcement authority has not established the identity of the person who holds it,
the authority has taken all reasonable steps to do so.
245BVariation and setting aside of orderU.K.
(1)The court may at any time vary or set aside a property freezing order.
(2)If the court makes an interim receiving order that applies to all of the property to which a property freezing order applies, it must set aside the property freezing order.
(3)If the court makes an interim receiving order that applies to some but not all of the property to which a property freezing order applies, it must vary the property freezing order so as to exclude any property to which the interim receiving order applies.
(4)If the court decides that any property to which a property freezing order applies is neither recoverable property nor associated property, it must vary the order so as to exclude the property.
(5)Before exercising power under this Chapter to vary or set aside a property freezing order, the court must (as well as giving the parties to the proceedings an opportunity to be heard) give such an opportunity to any person who may be affected by its decision.
(6)Subsection (5) does not apply where the court is acting as required by subsection (2) or (3).
245CExclusionsU.K.
(1)The power to vary a property freezing order includes (in particular) power to make exclusions as follows—
(5)Where the court exercises the power to make an exclusion for the purpose of enabling a person to meet legal expenses that he has incurred, or may incur, in respect of proceedings under this Part, it must ensure that the exclusion—
(a)is limited to reasonable legal expenses that the person has reasonably incurred or that he reasonably incurs,
(c)is made subject to the required conditions (see section 286A) in addition to any conditions imposed under subsection (4).
(6)The court, in deciding whether to make an exclusion for the purpose of enabling a person to meet legal expenses of his in respect of proceedings under this Part—
(a)must have regard (in particular) to the desirability of the person being represented in any proceedings under this Part in which he is a participant, and
(b)must, where the person is the respondent, disregard the possibility that legal representation of the person in any such proceedings might, were an exclusion not made, be [F2made available under arrangements made for the purposes of Part 1 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 or funded by] [F3the Department of Justice].
(8)The power to make exclusions must, subject to subsection (6), be exercised with a view to ensuring, so far as practicable, that the satisfaction of any right of the enforcement authority to recover the property obtained through unlawful conduct is not unduly prejudiced.
(9)Subsection (8) does not apply where the court is acting as required by section 245B(3) or (4).
F2Words in s. 245C(6)(b) substituted (1.4.2013) by Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), s. 151(1), Sch. 5 para. 59; S.I. 2013/453, art. 3(h) (with savings and transitional provisions in S.I. 2013/534, art. 6)
F3Words in s. 245C(6)(b) substituted (N.I.) (1.4.2015) by Legal Aid and Coroners‘ Courts Act (Northern Ireland) 2014 (c. 11), s. 12(1), Sch. 2 para. 4 (with ss. 2(3), 9, Sch. 1 para. 3(3)); S.R. 2015/193, art. 2(e)
245DRestriction on proceedings and remediesU.K.
(b)no distress may be levied[F4, and no power to use the procedure in Schedule 12 to the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 (taking control of goods) may be exercised,] against the property to which the order applies except with the leave of the court and subject to any terms the court may impose.
F4Words in s. 245D(1)(b) inserted (27.4.2017 for specified purposes, 31.1.2018 for E.W.S. in so far as not already in force) by Criminal Finances Act 2017 (c. 22), ss. 34(5), 58(1)(6); S.I. 2018/78, reg. 3(s)
[F5245EReceivers in connection with property freezing ordersU.K.
F5Ss. 245E-245G inserted (6.4.2008) by Serious Crime Act 2007 (c. 27), ss. 83(1), 94(1); S.I. 2008/755, art. 17(1)(h)
245FPowers of receivers appointed under section 245EU.K.
245GSupervision of section 245E receiver and variationsU.K.
(d)any person who may be affected by the court's decision.]