ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR AND THE CIVIL COURTS JULY 2020 Contents SECTION 1 – Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 4 SECTION 2 – Executive summary ...................................................................................................................... 7 SECTION 3 – The 2014 Act ............................................................................................................................... 15 Steps before formal action .......................................................................................................................................... 17 Options other than an injunction ................................................................................................................................ 19 Underlying criminal offences....................................................................................................................................... 25 Criminal behaviour orders ........................................................................................................................................... 28 A comparison: The magistrates’ court and the county court ..................................................................................... 29 The NHS Liaison and Diversion Service (L&D) ............................................................................................................. 30 National Probation Service .......................................................................................................................................... 36 Conclusion on the comparison .................................................................................................................................... 37 SECTION 4 – Statutory guidance, liaison and consultation ........................................................................... 39 A local plan .................................................................................................................................................................. 41 A pre-action protocol .................................................................................................................................................. 45 SECTION 5 – Procedure ................................................................................................................................... 50 Commencing proceedings ........................................................................................................................................... 50 The first hearing .......................................................................................................................................................... 54 SECTION 6 – Practical issues ........................................................................................................................... 55 Legal aid ....................................................................................................................................................................... 55 Provision of information .............................................................................................................................................. 62 Capacity issues ............................................................................................................................................................. 62 Vulnerability ................................................................................................................................................................ 67 Parallel criminal proceedings ...................................................................................................................................... 73 Powers of arrest .......................................................................................................................................................... 77 SECTION 7 – Breaches of the order................................................................................................................. 78 Warrant for arrest ....................................................................................................................................................... 78 Execution of a power of arrest .................................................................................................................................... 78 Committals .................................................................................................................................................................. 79 Remands in custody or on bail .................................................................................................................................... 82 Medical reports ........................................................................................................................................................... 84 The Practice Direction ................................................................................................................................................. 85 SECTION 8 – Data ............................................................................................................................................. 92 SECTION 9 – Positive requirements ................................................................................................................ 97 Alcohol abuse ............................................................................................................................................................ 100 Drug/substance abuse ............................................................................................................................................... 104 Page 2 of 154 Mental health ............................................................................................................................................................ 104 Homelessness ............................................................................................................................................................ 105 Inability/unwillingness to consider the impact of behaviour.................................................................................... 108 Youth-related issues .................................................................................................................................................. 108 Procedural requirements .......................................................................................................................................... 108 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................................. 111 SECTION 10 – Penalties for contempt .......................................................................................................... 112 Objectives .................................................................................................................................................................. 112 Options ...................................................................................................................................................................... 114 Current guidance ....................................................................................................................................................... 121 An investigation into penalties imposed for breach/es ............................................................................................ 123 A bespoke guideline .................................................................................................................................................. 126 Remarks when imposing a penalty ........................................................................................................................... 127 Purging contempt ...................................................................................................................................................... 128 Appeals ...................................................................................................................................................................... 130 SECTION 11 – Judicial training ...................................................................................................................... 133 SECTION 12 – Recommendations ................................................................................................................. 134 Annex 1: Guidance on penalties for contempt ............................................................................................ 142 Annex 2: Revised N79.................................................................................................................................... 149 Annex 3: List of abbreviations ...................................................................................................................... 153 Page 3 of 154 SECTION 1 – Introduction 1. The Civil Justice Council (CJC), which was established under the Civil Procedure Act 1997, is an advisory non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Ministry of Justice, responsible for overseeing and co-ordinating the modernisation of the civil justice system. 2. It meets four times year to provide advice to the Lord Chancellor, the judiciary and the Civil Procedure Rule Committee on the effectiveness