Section 331: Power to make criminal behaviour order

Sentencing Act 2020 · 2020 c. 17View on legislation.gov.uk

Part 11: Behaviour orders — CHAPTER 1: Criminal behaviour orders

This section applies where—

a person is convicted of an offence, and
the prosecution makes an application to the court for a criminal behaviour order to be made against the offender.

The court may make a criminal behaviour order against the offender if it—

is satisfied that the offender has engaged in behaviour that caused or was likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to any person, and
considers that making the order will help in preventing the offender from engaging in such behaviour.

But the court may make a criminal behaviour order only if it—

does so in addition to dealing with the offender for the offence, and
does not make an order for absolute discharge under section 79 in respect of the offence.

Prohibitions and requirements in a criminal behaviour order must, so far as practicable, be such as to avoid—

any interference with the times, if any, at which the offender normally works or attends school or any other educational establishment, and
any conflict with the requirements of any other court order to which the offender may be subject.

The prosecution must find out the views of the local youth offending team before applying for a criminal behaviour order to be made if the offender will be under the age of 18 when the application is made.

In this section “local youth offending team” means the youth offending team in whose area it appears to the prosecution that the offender resides.

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Reuse reviewed 21 August 2026 under Open Government Licence v3.0.