Criminal Behaviour Order

A Criminal Behaviour Order can be issued by any criminal court against an individual who has been convicted of an offence.  It aims to tackle individuals' antisocial behaviour that is more persistent and who are also engaging in criminal activity.

When applying for a Criminal Behaviour Order, the prosecution must be able to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the offender has engaged in behaviour that has caused or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to any person and that the order will help prevent the offender from engaging in such behaviour.

The terms of a Criminal Behaviour Order can include "prohibitions" (the individual must stop doing something) and also "positive requirements" (the individual must start doing something), which will help address the underlying causes of the offender's behaviour.

It is a criminal offence to breach a Criminal Behaviour Order and therefore any breach must be proved to a criminal standard of proof (beyond reasonable doubt).