The law concerning the making of Confiscations Orders at the conclusion of a criminal trial is governed by the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, which, when passed into law, brought together many formerly distinct pieces of legislation, including the Drug Trafficking Act and Criminal Justice Act.
Indeed, the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 makes provision for confiscation orders in every criminal case. It is for this reason that, throughout every stage of a criminal case, sufficient consideration must be given to the confiscation order that may well be imposed once the proceedings of the criminal case have concluded. Many individuals facing the prospect of a crimnal trial, and indeed many lawyers, often overlook the potential consequences of decisions made during the preparation of a case on the eventual confiscation proceedings.
When enacting the Proceeds of Crime Act, the Home Office estimated that the number of confiscation orders obtained every year would greatly increase. The figures that have been made available show that the predication was correct.. The Home Office hopes to continue to recover larger amounts in future and prosecution teams and Courts are increasingly robust in seeking, and enforcing, confiscation orders.
The issue of how much a defendant might be required to pay due to confiscation has become increasingly important in many criminal cases, largely due to the rising number of confiscation orders made and value of sums confiscated throughout recent years. Hence, it is crucial that the defence team involved in such a case remains persistently alert to the issue throughout the whole case, from the initial interview at a police station right through to eventual conclusion.
Thankfully, the specialist personnel at Goldkorns Solicitors remain well aware of potential problems in this area; indeed, they can handle all aspects of the confiscatory regime. Goldkorns Solicitors has a proud history of involvement in many leading cases concerning confiscation orders and, with this in mind, anyone drawing on our services can do so with confidence and peace of mind.
Anyone interested in learning more about our legal services relating to confiscation orders can contact us using the contact details available our website.