Criminal Justice Act 1991

20 Statements as to offenders' means

(1) Where a person has been convicted of an offence by a magistrates' court, the court may, before sentencing him, order him to furnish to the court within a period specified in the order such a statement of his means as the court may require.

(2) A person who without reasonable excuse fails to comply with an order under subsection (1) above shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

(3) If a person in furnishing any statement in pursuance of an order under subsection (1) above—

(a) makes a statement which he knows to be false in a material particular;

(b) recklessly furnishes a statement which is false in a material particular; or

(c) knowingly fails to disclose any material fact,

he shall be liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale or both.

(4) Proceedings in respect of an offence under subsection (3) above may, notwithstanding anything in section 127(1) of the 1980 Act (limitation of time), be commenced at any time within two years from the date of the commission of the offence or within six months from its first discovery by the prosecutor, whichever period expires the earlier.

(5) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1) of—

(a) section 84 of the [1981 c. 54.] Supreme Court Act 1981; and

(b) section 144 of the 1980 Act,

the power to make rules under each of those sections shall include power to prescribe the form in which statements are to be furnished in pursuance of orders under subsection (1) above; and rules made by virtue of this subsection may make different provision for different cases or classes of case.