Proceeds of Crime (Scotland) Act 1995

31 Variation and recall of restraint orders

(1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3) below, the court may, at the instance of—

(a) the prosecutor, at any time vary or recall a restraint order in relation to any person or to any property;

(b) any person having an interest, at any time vary or recall a restraint order in relation to the person or to any property.

(2) On an application made under subsection (1)(b) above by a person named in a restraint order as having received a gift caught by Part I of this Act or, as the case may be, an implicative gift, the court may recall the order in relation to that person if it is satisfied on the balance of probabilities—

(a) that he received the gift not knowing, not suspecting and not having reasonable grounds to suspect that the gift was made in contemplation of, or after, the commission of the offence or if more than one, in contemplation of any of the offences or after the commission of the earlier or the earliest of the offences to which the proceedings for the time being relate; and

(b) that he was not associated with the giver in the commission of the offence; and

(c) that he would suffer hardship if the order were not recalled.

(3) Where an application has been made under subsection (1) above for the variation or recall of a restraint order, any property in relation to which the restraint order was made shall not be realised during the period beginning with the making of the application and ending with the determination of the application by the court.

(4) The court may, where it has recalled a restraint order as mentioned in subsection (1)(b) or (2) above, order that property of the person at whose instance it was recalled shall cease to be realisable or, as the case may be, liable to forfeiture.

(5) The prosecutor or any person having an interest may reclaim or appeal to the Court of Session against an interlocutor refusing, varying or recalling or refusing to vary or recall a restraint order, within such period as may be prescribed by Act of Sederunt.

(6) Where, in relation to a restraint order which is recalled, interdict has been granted under section 28(8) of this Act, the clerk of court shall, on the restraint order being recalled, forthwith so inform each person so interdicted.