Criminal Justice (Mutual Assistance) Act 2008
Realisation of property subject to confiscation co-operation order.
53.— (1) Where—
(a) F49[an external confiscation order or] a confiscation co-operation order for the payment of a sum of money has not been satisfied, or
(b) such an order is for the confiscation of property other than such a sum,
the High Court may, on application by the Director of Public Prosecutions, appoint a person to be a receiver in respect of realisable property.
(2) The Court may empower the receiver to take possession of any realisable property subject to such conditions or exceptions as may be specified by the Court.
(3) The Court may order any person having possession or control of any realisable property to give possession of it to the receiver.
(4) The Court may empower the receiver to realise any realisable property in such manner as the Court may direct.
(5) The Court may order any person holding an interest in realisable property to make such payment to the receiver as the Court may direct in respect of any beneficial interest held by the defendant or the recipient of any gift caught by this Act and the Court may, on the payment being made, by order transfer, grant or extinguish any interest in the property.
(6) The Court shall not, in respect of any property, exercise the powers conferred by this section unless a reasonable opportunity has been given to persons holding any interest in the property to make representations to it.
F50[(7) Where property recovered by the execution of an external confiscation order or confiscation co-operation order is not a sum of money, the receiver may—
(a) cause the property recovered to be transferred to the state concerned, or
(b) cause the property recovered to be sold and, subject to F51[subsections (8) and (9)], the proceeds transferred to the state concerned.
(8) Where property recovered by the execution of an external confiscation order transmitted by or on behalf of a court in a designated state F52[that is a member state or the United Kingdom] is a sum of money or the proceeds of a sale under subsection (7)(b) —
(a) if that sum is less than €10,000, it shall be paid into or disposed of for the benefit of the Exchequer in such manner as the Minister for Finance may direct, and
(b) if that sum is €10,000 or more, 50 per cent of the sum shall be transferred to the designated state concerned and the remaining 50 per cent shall be paid into or disposed of for the benefit of the Exchequer in such manner as the Minister for Finance may direct.]
F53[(9) Where property recovered by the execution of a confiscation co-operation order transmitted by or on behalf of a court in a designated state, other than a member state or the United Kingdom, is a sum of money or the proceeds of a sale under subsection (7)(b), the Court, on application by the Central Authority and in accordance with the relevant international instrument, may—
(a) order the money or the proceeds of sale to be transferred to the designated state, or
(b) order part of the money or the proceeds of sale to be transferred to the designated state and the remaining balance shall be paid into or disposed of for the benefit of the Exchequer in such manner as the Minister for Finance may direct.]
Annotations
Amendments:
F49
Inserted (1.02.2016) by Criminal Justice (Mutual Assistance) (Amendment) Act 2015 (40/2015), s. 20(a), S.I. No. 11 of 2016.
F50
Inserted (1.02.2016) by Criminal Justice (Mutual Assistance) (Amendment) Act 2015 (40/2015), s. 20(b), S.I. No. 11 of 2016.
F51
Substituted (1.11.2023) by Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023 (24/2023), s. 51(a), S.I. No. 525 of 2023.
F52
Substituted (31.01.2021) by European Union (Criminal Justice (Mutual Assistance) Act 2008) (Amendment) Regulations 2022 (S.I. No. 38 of 2022), reg. 11, in effect as per reg. 1(2).
F53
Inserted (1.11.2023) by Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023 (24/2023), s. 51(b), S.I. No. 525 of 2023.