Commentary First Group of Parts – Discipline Part 8 – Sentencing Powers and Mandatory Etc Sentences Section 183: Overseas community orders: modifications of 2003 Act
377.Chapter 4 of Part 12 of the 2003 Act contains general provisions applicable to (among other sentences) community orders. This section modifies that Chapter in its application to overseas community orders.
378.Subsection (1) prevents certain provisions of the 2003 Act from applying to an overseas community order. These provisions include one which prevents a court from imposing a mental health requirement where the offender’s mental condition would warrant the making of a hospital order or guardianship order (which are not available on conviction by a service court), those relating to periodic review of a drug rehabilitation requirement, and the power to impose an electronic monitoring requirement.
379.Subsection (2) modifies certain provisions of the 2003 Act under which the offender can be required to attend at premises approved by the local probation board for the area in which the premises are situated, so that, in the case of a requirement under an overseas community order, the approval of any local probation board will suffice.
380.Subsection (3) requires a court making an overseas community order to provide a copy of the order to specified persons, in addition to those specified in section 219 of the 2003 Act.
381.Subsection (4) provides a definition of the “responsible officer”, for the purposes of an overseas community order, which is broadly similar to that in section 197 of the 2003 Act, but omits the reference to the officer being appointed for or assigned to a local justice area. Subsection (5) enables the Secretary of State to amend this definition in the same way as he can amend the definition in the 2003 Act.