Ancillary Orders Consultation
Criminal behaviour order
Guideline users should be aware that the Equal Treatment Bench Book covers important aspects of fair treatment and disparity of outcomes for different groups in the criminal justice system. It provides guidance which sentencers are encouraged to take into account wherever applicable, to ensure that there is fairness for all involved in court proceedings. |
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May be made by: | A magistrates court or the Crown Court |
Relevent legislation | |
Nature of the order |
A CBO is an order which is made for the purpose of preventing the offender from engaging in behaviour that is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to any person in the future. The order
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Notice |
The prosecutor must serve a notice of intention to apply for a CBO as soon as practicable (Criminal Procedure Rule 31.3) |
Availability |
The court can only consider whether to make a CBO if all of the following pre-conditions are met:
(Sentencing Code, s331(1), (2)) For special considerations where the application for a CBO is made against an offender aged under 18, see below. For the power to adjourn an application for a CBO until after the offender has been sentenced for the offence (and to make an interim order during the adjournment), see below. |
Test to be applied |
The court may make a CBO against the offender if it
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General considerations |
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Deciding whether the offender has engaged in the relevant behaviour |
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Content of the order |
A CBO may include prohibitions and/or requirements, which must be:
A CBO should not prohibit particular conduct which itself constitutes a criminal offence where the purpose of the order is to provide for an increased penalty in the event of repetition in breach of the order. Prohibitions and requirements in a CBO must, so far as practicable, be such as to avoid—
There is no power to make any prohibition or requirement in a CBO subject to electronic monitoring. |
Requirements in a CBO |
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Length of the order |
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Special considerations for offenders who are children aged under 18 |
See Section 1 (sentencing principles and welfare) and Section 3 (parental responsibilities) of the Sentencing Children and Young People guideline. Duty to obtain views of Youth Justice Services The prosecution must find out the views of the local youth offending team before applying for a criminal behaviour order. (Sentencing Act 2020, s.331(5)). Length of the CBO The order must be for a fixed period of length between 1 and 3 years. (Sentencing Act 2020, s.334(4)). Parenting order on making of CBO Where the court has made a CBO against an offender aged under 16, it must make a parenting order if doing so would be desirable in the interests of preventing any repetition of the kind of behaviour which led to the CBO being made. The court may make a parenting order in the case on offender aged 16 or 17 where that condition is fulfilled |
Effect on earler orders |
The CBO takes effect on the day it is made unless the offender is already subject to a criminal behaviour order in which case the new order may be made so as to take effect on the day on which the previous order ceases to have effect. |
Explaining the order |
The CBO must be explained to the offender, and the exact terms of the order pronounced in open court. |
Adjournments and Interim CBOs |
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Consequences of breach |
Breach of a criminal behaviour order is a criminal offence, with a maximum penalty of 5 years’ custody or an unlimited fine. |
Sentencing guidelines that will include a drop down of this guidance:
- Affray
- Disorderly behaviour with intent to cause harassment, alarm or distress/ Racially or religiously aggravated disorderly behaviour with intent to cause harassment, alarm or distress
- Riot
- Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug/ Possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply it to another
- Supplying or offering to supply a psychoactive substance/ Possession of psychoactive substance with intent to supply.
- Threatening behaviour – fear or provocation of violence/ Racially or religiously aggravated threatening behaviour – fear or provocation of violence
- Violent Disorder