Commentary on Parts Part 2 – Sexual Harm What order does Section 16 – Content and duration of order
90.Section 16 makes provision about the prohibitions or requirements (or both) that may be contained in a SHPO. Each prohibition and requirement in a SHPO is for a fixed period. The order and the prohibitions and requirements may all be for the same period. The order ceases to have effect, if it has not already done so, when all of the requirements and prohibitions in the order have ceased to have effect.
91.Subsection (2) provides that those prohibitions or requirements will relate to things to be done or not done throughout the UK (unless expressly confined to particular localities).
92.Subsection (3) provides that any prohibition or requirement in the order must have a specified fixed period of not less than five years. This is subject to a further condition that requirements relating to a prohibition on foreign travel (dealt with in section 17) must be for a fixed period of not more than five years. As a result, prohibitions on foreign travel must always be for five years exactly.
93.The order can include any prohibition or requirement the court considers necessary for the purpose of subsection (6), including the prohibition of foreign travel to the country or countries specified in the order (or to all foreign countries, if that is what the order provides), as set out in section 17.
94.A SHPO may prohibit the person in respect of whom the order is made from doing things or require that person to do things. Subsection (4) provides that different prohibitions and requirements may have effect for different periods.
95.Subsection (6) sets out the tests for imposing prohibitions and requirements in a SHPO, namely that they are necessary to protect the public or any particular members of the public from sexual harm from the person (subsection (6)(a)) or to protect children or vulnerable adults generally, or any particular children or vulnerable adults, from sexual harm from the person outside the UK (subsection (6)(b)).
96.Subsection (7) provides that, if the court makes a SHPO in respect of a person already subject to such an order, the earlier order will cease to have effect.