Serious Crime Prevention Orders ("SCPOs") were introduced by Part 1 of the Serious Crime Act 2007 ("SCA 2007"). SCPOs are civil preventative orders which can impose tailored prohibitions, restrictions, and requirements on a person for a period of up to five years to prevent, restrict or disrupt their involvement in serious crime. The terms of an SCPO might relate to, for example: business and financial dealings, use of premises or items, provision of goods or services, employment of staff, association with individuals, means of communication or restrictions on travel.
	There is a list of ‘serious offences’ in Schedule 1 to the SCA 2007 for which an SCPO can be applied, including offences such as fraud, money laundering, terrorism, drug trafficking and people smuggling. A "person" includes both individuals and bodies corporate, such as limited liability companies, partnerships, and unincorporated associations (associations which carry out a common enterprise such as a trade union).
	Sections 55 to 59 make a number of amendments to the SCA 2007 in relation to SCPOs and will apply to England and Wales with the exception of section 56, interim SCPOs, which extends UK wide in terrorism related cases.
Part 3: Prevention of Serious Crime Serious crime prevention orders