Criminal Justice Act, 1994

PART III

Enforcement, etc. of Confiscation Orders

Enforcement of confiscation orders.

19.—(1) Where a court makes a confiscation order, then (without prejudice to the provisions of section 22 of this Act enabling property of the defendant in the hands of a receiver appointed under this Act to be applied in satisfaction of the confiscation order) the order may be enforced by the Director of Public Prosecutions at any time after it is made (or, if the order provides for payment at a later time, then at any time after the later time) as if it were a judgment of the High Court for the payment to the State of the sum specified in the order (or of any lesser sum remaining due under the order), save that nothing in this subsection shall enable a person to be imprisoned.

(2) Subject to subsection (3) of this section, if, at any time after payment of a sum due under a confiscation order has become enforceable in the manner provided for by subsection (1) of this section, it is reported to the High Court, by the Director of Public Prosecutions that any such sum or any part thereof remains unpaid, the court may, without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under the order or to the power to enforce the order in the future in accordance with subsection (1) of this section, order that the defendant shall be imprisoned for a period not exceeding that set out in the second column of the table to this section opposite to the amount set out therein of the confiscation order remaining unpaid.

(3) An order under subsection (2) of this section shall not be made unless the defendant has been given a reasonable opportunity to make any representations to the court that the order should not be made and the court has taken into account any representations so made and any representations made by the Director of Public Prosecutions in reply.

(4) Any term of imprisonment imposed under subsection (2) of this section shall commence on the expiration of any term of imprisonment for which the defendant is liable under the sentence for the offence in question or otherwise, but shall be reduced in proportion to any sum or sums paid or recovered from time to time under the confiscation order.

TABLE

Amount outstanding under confiscation order

Period of imprisonment

Not exceeding £500

45 days

Exceeding £500 but not exceeding £1,000

3 months

Exceeding £1,000 but not exceeding £2,500

4 months

Exceeding £2,500 but not exceeding £5,000

6 months

Exceeding £5,000 but not exceeding £10,000

9 months

Exceeding £10,000 but not exceeding £20,000

12 months

Exceeding £20,000 but not exceeding £50,000

18 months

Exceeding £50,000 but not exceeding £100,000

2 years

Exceeding £100,000 but not exceeding £250,000

3 years

Exceeding £250,000 but not exceeding £1 million

5 years

Exceeding £1 million

10 years