The Proceeds of Crime (Northern Ireland) Order 1996

Protection for insolvency officers, etc.

Insolvency officers dealing with property subject to restraint order

39.—(1) Without prejudice to the generality of the Insolvency (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 or any other statutory provision, where—

(a) any person acting as an insolvency practitioner seizes or disposes of any property in relation to which his functions are not exercisable because it is for the time being subject to a restraint order; and

(b) at the time of the seizure or disposal he believes, and has reasonable grounds for believing, that he is entitled (whether in pursuance of an order of the High Court or otherwise) to seize or dispose of that property,

he shall not be liable to any person in respect of any loss or damage resulting from the seizure or disposal except in so far as the loss or damage is caused by his negligence in so acting.

(2) A person acting as an insolvency practitioner shall, in the circumstances mentioned in paragraph (1)(a) and (b), have a lien on the property, or the proceeds of its sale, for such of his expenses as were incurred in connection with the liquidation, bankruptcy or other proceedings in relation to which the seizure or disposal purported to take place and for so much of his remuneration as may reasonably be assigned for his acting in connection with those proceedings.

(3) Where a person acting as an insolvency practitioner incurs expenses—

(a) in respect of such property as is mentioned in sub-paragraph (a) of paragraph (1) and in so doing does not know and has no reasonable grounds to believe that the property is for the time being subject to a restraint order; or

(b) other than in respect of such property as is so mentioned, being expenses which, but for the effect of a restraint order, might have been met by taking possession of and realising the property,

that person shall be entitled (whether or not he has seized or disposed of that property so as to have a lien under paragraph (2)) to payment of those expenses under Article 35(2) or (5).

Receivers: supplementary provisions

40.—(1) Where a receiver appointed under Article 31 or 34 or in pursuance of a charging order—

(a) takes any action in relation to any property which is not realisable property, being action which he would be entitled to take if it were such property; and

(b) believes, and has reasonable grounds for believing, that he is entitled to take that action in relation to that property,

he shall not be liable to any person in respect of any loss or damage resulting from his action except in so far as the loss or damage is caused by his negligence.

(2) Any amount due in respect of the remuneration and expenses of a receiver so appointed shall, if no sum is available to be applied in payment of it under Article 35(6), be paid by the prosecution or, in a case where proceedings for an offence to which this Order applies are not instituted, by the person on whose application the receiver was appointed.