Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012

66 Duration of community order

(1) In section 177 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (general provisions about community orders), in subsection (5) (requirement for order to specify date on which requirements must have been complied with)—

(a) after the first “date” insert “(“the end date”)”, and

(b) omit the words from “; and” to the end of the subsection.

(2) After that subsection insert—

“(5A) If a community order imposes two or more different requirements falling within subsection (1), the order may also specify a date by which each of those requirements must have been complied with; and the last of those dates must be the same as the end date.

(5B) Subject to section 200(3) (duration of community order imposing unpaid work requirement), a community order ceases to be in force on the end date.”

(3) In Schedule 8 to that Act (breach, revocation or amendment of community order), in paragraph 9 (powers of magistrates’ court in case of breach)—

(a) in sub-paragraph (3), for the words from “but may” to the end of the sub-paragraph substitute “but may only amend the order to substitute a later date for that specified under section 177(5) in accordance with sub-paragraphs (3ZA) and (3ZB)”, and

(b) after that sub-paragraph insert—

“(3ZA) A date substituted under sub-paragraph (3)—

(a) may not fall outside the period of six months beginning with the date previously specified under section 177(5);

(b) subject to that, may fall more than three years after the date of the order.

(3ZB) The power under sub-paragraph (3) to substitute a date may not be exercised in relation to an order if that power or the power in paragraph 10(3) to substitute a date has previously been exercised in relation to that order.

(3ZC) A date substituted under sub-paragraph (3) is to be treated as having been specified in relation to the order under section 177(5).”

(4) In that Schedule, in paragraph 10 (powers of Crown Court in case of breach)—

(a) in sub-paragraph (3), for the words from “but may” to the end of the sub-paragraph substitute “but may only amend the order to substitute a later date for that specified under section 177(5) in accordance with sub-paragraphs (3ZA) and (3ZB)”, and

(b) after that sub-paragraph insert—

“(3ZA) A date substituted under sub-paragraph (3)—

(a) may not fall outside the period of six months beginning with the date previously specified under section 177(5);

(b) subject to that, may fall more than three years after the date of the order.

(3ZB) The power under sub-paragraph (3) to substitute a date may not be exercised in relation to an order if that power or the power under paragraph 9(3) to substitute a date has previously been exercised in relation to that order.

(3ZC) A date substituted under sub-paragraph (3) is to be treated as having been specified in relation to the order under section section 177(5).”

(5) In that Schedule, after paragraph 19 insert—

“Extension of order

19A (1) The appropriate court may, on the application of the offender or the responsible officer, amend a community order by substituting a later date for that specified under section 177(5).

(2) A date substituted under sub-paragraph (1)—

(a) may not fall outside the period of six months beginning with the date previously specified under section 177(5);

(b) subject to that, may fall more than three years after the date of the order.

(3) The power under sub-paragraph (1) may not be exercised in relation to an order if it has previously been exercised in relation to that order.

(4) A date substituted under sub-paragraph (1) is to be treated as having been specified in relation to the order under section 177(5).

(5) In this paragraph “the appropriate court” has the same meaning as in paragraph 16.”