C4C6C5C1C7C3C2 Part 3 Confiscation: Scotland

Annotations:

F9F1Seized moneyF1Enforcement: money, cryptoassets and personal property

Annotations:
Amendments (Textual)
F9

S. 131ZA and cross-heading inserted (S.) (27.4.2017 for specified purposes, 31.1.2018 in so far as not already in force) by Criminal Finances Act 2017 (c. 22), ss. 28, 58(2)(6); S.S.I. 2017/456, reg. 2(a)

F1

S. 131ZA cross-heading substituted (26.10.2023 for specified purposes) by Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (c. 56), s. 219(2)(b)(4)(a), Sch. 8 para. 33

131ZAF6Seized moneyF6Money

1

This section applies to money which—

a

is held by a person, and

b

is held in an account maintained by the person with a F8bank or building societyF8relevant financial institution.

2

This section also applies to money which is held by a person and which—

a

has been seized under a relevant seizure power by a constable or another person lawfully exercising the power, and

b

is being detained in connection with a criminal investigation or prosecution or with an investigation of a kind mentioned in section 341.

3

But this section applies to money only so far as the money is free property.

4

Subsection (5) applies if—

a

a confiscation order is made against a person holding money to which this section applies, and

b

an administrator has not been appointed under section 128 in relation to the money.

5

The relevant court may order the appropriate person to pay, within such period as the court may specify, the money or a portion of it specified by the court to the appropriate clerk of court on account of the amount payable under the confiscation order.

6

An order under subsection (5) may be made—

a

on the application of the prosecutor, or

b

by the relevant court of its own accord.

7

The Scottish Ministers may by regulations amend this section so that it applies by virtue of subsection (1) not only to money held in an account maintained with a F5bank or building societyF5relevant financial institution but also to—

a

money held in an account maintained with a financial institution of a specified kind, or

b

money that is represented by, or may be obtained from, a financial instrument or product of a specified kind.

8

Regulations under subsection (7) may amend this section so that it makes provision about realising an instrument or product within subsection (7)(b) or otherwise obtaining money from it.

9

In this section—

  • appropriate clerk of court”, in relation to a confiscation order, means the sheriff clerk of the sheriff court responsible for enforcing the confiscation order under section 211 of the Procedure Act as applied by section 118(1);

  • appropriate person” means—

    1. a

      in a case where the money is held in an account maintained with F7a bank or building society, the bank or building societyF7a relevant financial institution, the relevant financial institution ;

    2. b

      in any other case, the person on whose authority the money is detained;

  • bank” means an authorised deposit-taker, other than a building society, that has its head office or a branch in the United Kingdom;

  • building society” has the same meaning as in the Building Societies Act 1986;

  • F2electronic money institution” has the same meaning as in the Electronic Money Regulations 2011 (S.I. 2011/99) (see regulation 2 of those Regulations);

  • F2payment institution” means an authorised payment institution or a small payment institution (each as defined in regulation 2 of the Payment Services Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/752));

  • relevant court”, in relation to a confiscation order, means—

    1. a

      the court which makes the confiscation order, or

    2. b

      the sheriff court responsible for enforcing the confiscation order under section 211 of the Procedure Act as applied by section 118(1);

  • F2relevant financial institution” means a bank, a building society, an electronic money institution or a payment institution;

  • relevant seizure power” means a power to seize money conferred by or by virtue of—

    1. a

      a warrant granted under any enactment or rule of law, or

    2. b

      any enactment, or rule of law, under which the authority of a warrant is not required.

10

In the definition of “bank” in subsection (9), “authorised deposit-taker” means—

a

a person who has permission under Part 4A of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 to accept deposits;

b

a person who—

i

is specified, or is within a class of persons specified, by an order under section 38 of that Act (exemption orders), and

ii

accepts deposits;

F4c

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

11

A reference in subsection (10) to a person F3... with permission to accept deposits does not include a person F3... with permission to do so only for the purposes of, or in the course of, an activity other than accepting deposits.