Commentary on Sections Part 2: Notification and Orders Section 117: Foreign travel orders: effect
246.Section 117 sets out the effect of a foreign travel order. Subsection (1) provides that the duration of the order will not exceed six months and will be specified in the order. Subsection (2) provides that the order may prohibit the subject from travelling to a country outside the UK named in the order (such as Thailand and Malaysia); or from travelling to any country outside the UK that is not named in the order (for example, this may be needed where the offender is banned from travelling anywhere in the world other than to a named country which he may need to visit for family reasons); or from travelling to any country outside the UK (where the offender is such a risk to children that a universal ban is required). Subsection (4) provides that if, while a foreign travel order is in force, the defendant is not a ‘relevant offender’ i.e. is not subject to the notification requirements of this Part of the Act, he must comply with any regulations made under section 86(1) (i.e. regulations imposing notification requirements relating to foreign travel). In practice, however, in the vast majority of cases the offender is likely already to be subject to all of the notification requirements by virtue of his conviction for a sexual offence against a child.