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STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS


2007 No. 281

UNITED NATIONS

The Iran (Financial Sanctions) Order 2007

  Made 7th February 2007 
  Laid before Parliament 8th February 2007 
  Coming into force 9th February 2007 


ARRANGEMENT OF ARTICLES


PART 1

Preliminary and general
1. Citation, commencement, extent and application
2. Interpretation

PART 2

Designated persons and directions
3. Designated persons
4. Treasury's power to designate persons
5. Directions: further provisions

PART 3

Prohibitions and licences
6. Freezing funds and economic resources of designated persons
7. Making funds or economic resources available to designated persons etc.
8. Exceptions
9. Circumventing prohibitions etc.
10. Licences

PART 4

Miscellaneous
11. Evidence and information
12. Penalties
13. Proceedings
14. Notices
15. Functions of the Treasury
16. Postponement etc. of the operation of the Security Council Resolution
17. The Crown
18. Transitional provisions

  SCHEDULE— Evidence and Information

At the Court at Buckingham Palace, the 7th day of February 2007

Present,

The Queen's Most Excellent Majesty in Council

The Security Council of the United Nations adopted resolution 1737(2006) on 23rd December 2006.

     In that resolution, the Security Council calls upon Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom and all other States to apply certain measures to give effect to decisions of that Council in relation to Iran's nuclear programme.

     Accordingly, Her Majesty, in exercise of the powers conferred on Her by section 1 of the United Nations Act 1946[
1], is pleased, by and with the advice of Her Privy Council, to order as follows:



PART 1

Preliminary and general

Citation, commencement, extent and application
     1. —(1) This Order may be cited as the Iran (Financial Sanctions) Order 2007 and comes into force on 9th February 2007.

    (2) This Order extends to the United Kingdom.

    (3) An offence may be committed under article 6, 7, 9 or 10 by any person in the United Kingdom or by any person elsewhere who is—

Interpretation
    
2. —(1) In this Order—

    (2) The definition of "relevant institution" in paragraph (1) must be read with—



PART 2

Designated persons and directions

Designated persons
     3. —(1) For the purposes of this Order—

    (2) In this Part "direction" (other than in article 4(2)(b)) means a direction given by the Treasury under article 4(1).

Treasury's power to designate persons
    
4. —(1) Where any condition in paragraph (2) is satisfied, the Treasury may give a direction that a person identified in the direction is designated for the purposes of this Order.

    (2) The conditions are that the Treasury have reasonable grounds for suspecting that the person is or may be—

    (3) The Treasury may vary or revoke a direction at any time.

Directions: further provisions
    
5. —(1) Where the Treasury give a direction they must—

    (2) The High Court or, in Scotland, the Court of Session may set aside a direction on the application of—

    (3) A person who makes an application under paragraph (2) must give a copy of the application and any witness statement or affidavit in support to the Treasury not later than seven days before the date fixed for the hearing of the application.



PART 3

Prohibitions and licences

Freezing funds and economic resources of designated persons
    
6. —(1) A person (including the designated person) must not deal with funds or economic resources owned, held or controlled, directly or indirectly, by a designated person unless he does so under the authority of a licence granted under article 10.

    (2) A person who contravenes the prohibition in paragraph (1) is guilty of an offence.

    (3) In proceedings for an offence under this article, it is a defence for a person to show that he did not know and had no reasonable cause to suspect that he was dealing with funds or economic resources owned, held or controlled, directly or indirectly, by a designated person.

    (4) In this article, "deal with" means—

Making funds or economic resources available to designated persons etc.
    
7. —(1) A person must not make funds or economic resources available, directly or indirectly, to or for the benefit of a designated person unless he does so under the authority of a licence granted under article 10.

    (2) A person who contravenes the prohibition in paragraph (1) is guilty of an offence.

    (3) In proceedings for an offence under this article, it is a defence for a person to show that he did not know and had no reasonable cause to suspect that he was making funds or economic resources available, directly or indirectly, to or for the benefit of a designated person.

Exceptions
    
8. —(1) A person is not guilty of an offence under article 6 or 7 if he credits a frozen account with—

    (2) For the avoidance of doubt, article 6 applies to any funds credited to a frozen account in accordance with this article.

    (3) In this article "frozen account" means an account held or controlled by a designated person.

Circumventing prohibitions etc.
    
9. A person is guilty of an offence if he participates, knowingly and intentionally, in activities the object or effect of which is, directly or indirectly, to—

Licences
    
10. —(1) The Treasury may grant a licence to exempt acts specified in the licence from the prohibition in article 6(1) or 7(1).

    (2) A licence may be—

    (3) The Treasury may vary or revoke a licence at any time.

    (4) The Treasury, where they grant, vary or revoke a licence, must—

    (5) Any person who, for the purpose of obtaining a licence, knowingly or recklessly makes any statement or furnishes any document or information which is false in a material particular is guilty of an offence.

    (6) Any person who has done any act under the authority of a licence and who fails to comply with any conditions attaching to that licence is guilty of an offence.



PART 4

Miscellaneous

Evidence and information
    
11. The Schedule (which contains further provisions about evidence and information) has effect.

Penalties
    
12. —(1) A person guilty of an offence under article 6, 7, or 9 is liable—

    (2) A person guilty of an offence under article 10 or paragraph 4(b) or (d) of the Schedule is liable—

    (3) A person guilty of an offence under paragraph 2(3) or 4(a) or (c) of the Schedule is liable on summary conviction—

    (4) If an offence under this Order committed by a body corporate is shown—

the officer as well as the body corporate is guilty of the offence and is liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.

Proceedings
    
13. —(1) Proceedings against any person for an offence may be taken before the appropriate court in the United Kingdom having jurisdiction in the place where that person is for the time being.

    (2) In England and Wales, summary proceedings for an offence may be tried by a magistrates' court if any information is laid—

    (3) In Scotland—

    (4) In Northern Ireland, summary proceedings for an offence may be instituted—

    (5) For the purposes of this article—

    (6) In Scotland, where a constable reasonably believes that a person has committed or is committing an offence, he may arrest that person without a warrant.

    (7) In Northern Ireland, article 26 of the Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1989[6] (arrest without warrant for arrestable offences) applies to an offence which is not an arrestable offence by virtue of the term of imprisonment for which a person may be sentenced in respect of it, as if it were mentioned in paragraph (2) of that article.

    (8) No proceedings for an offence, other than for a summary offence, may be instituted in England, Wales or Northern Ireland except with the consent of the Treasury or the Attorney General or, as the case may be, the Attorney General for Northern Ireland.

    (9) Whether or not such consent has been given, paragraph (8) does not prevent—

    (10) In this article, "offence" means an offence under this Order.

Notices
     14. —(1) This article has effect in relation to any notice to be given to a person by the Treasury under article 5(1)(b) or 10(4)(a).

    (2) Any such notice may be given—

    (3) Where the Treasury do not have an address for the person, they must make arrangements for the notice to be given to him at the first available opportunity.

Functions of the Treasury
    
15. —(1) The Treasury may, to such extent and subject to such restrictions and conditions as they may think proper, delegate or authorise the delegation of any of their functions under this Order to any person or description of persons.

    (2) References in this Order to the Treasury are to be construed accordingly.

Postponement etc. of the operation of the Security Council Resolution
    
16. —(1) If the Security Council takes any decision which has the effect of postponing, suspending or cancelling the operation of the Security Council Resolution, in whole or in part, this Order shall cease to have effect or its operation shall be postponed or suspended, in whole or in part as the case may be, in accordance with that decision.

    (2) The Secretary of State must publish particulars of the decision in a notice in the London, Edinburgh and Belfast Gazettes.

The Crown
    
17. —(1) This Order binds the Crown, subject to the following provisions of this article.

    (2) No contravention by the Crown of a provision of this Order makes the Crown criminally liable; but the High Court or in Scotland the Court of Session may, on the application of a person appearing to the Court to have an interest, declare unlawful any act or omission of the Crown which constitutes such a contravention.

    (3) Nothing in this article affects Her Majesty in her private capacity; and this is to be construed as if section 38(3) of the Crown Proceedings Act 1947[
7] (meaning of Her Majesty in her private capacity) were contained in this Order.

Transitional provisions
     18. —(1) In relation to an offence under article 6, 7, 9 or 10 or paragraph 4(b) or (d) of the Schedule committed before the commencement of section 282 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003[8] (increase in maximum term that may be imposed on summary conviction of offence triable either way), the references in article 12(1)(b)(i) and (2)(b)(i) to 12 months shall have effect as if they were references to six months.

    (2) In relation to an offence under paragraph 2(3) or 4(a) or (c) of the Schedule committed before the commencement of section 281(4) and (5) of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (alteration of penalties for certain summary offences), the reference in article 12(3)(a) to 51 weeks shall have effect as if it were a reference to six months.


Christine Cook
Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council


SCHEDULE
Article 11


Evidence and Information


     1. The Treasury must take such steps as they consider appropriate to cooperate with any domestic or international investigation relating to the funds, economic resources or financial transactions of—

     2. —(1) A relevant institution must as soon as practicable inform the Treasury if it knows or suspects that a relevant person—

    (2) A relevant institution, where it informs the Treasury under sub-paragraph (1), must state—

    (3) A relevant institution which fails to comply with a requirement in paragraph (1) or (2) is guilty of an offence.

    (4) In this paragraph, "relevant person" means—

     3. —(1) The Treasury may request any person in or resident in the United Kingdom to give to them any information or to produce to them any document in his possession or control which they may require for the purpose of—

    (2) This includes power to—

    (3) Any person to whom a request is made must comply with it within such time and in such manner as may be specified in the request.

    (4) Nothing in this paragraph shall be taken to require any person who has acted as counsel or solicitor for any person to give or produce any privileged information or document in his possession in that capacity.

     4. A person is guilty of an offence if he—

     5. Where a person is convicted of an offence under paragraph 4(a), the court may make an order requiring him, within such period as may be specified in the order, to give the requested information or to produce the requested document.

     6. —(1) The Treasury may only disclose any information given or document produced under this Schedule (including any copy or extract made of any such document)—

    (2) In this paragraph, "in his own right" means not merely in the capacity as a servant or agent of another person.

     7. An action done under this Schedule is not to be treated as a breach of any restriction imposed by statute or otherwise.



EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)


This Order, made under section 1 of the United Nations Act 1946, gives effect in the United Kingdom to resolution 1737(2006) of the Security Council of the United Nations adopted on 23rd December 2006 ("the Resolution").

Under the Resolution, various persons are designated in an Annex and the Security Council and a committee of the Security Council (the "Committee") can designate persons. States are required to take measures in respect of any designated person and any person or entity acting on his behalf or at his direction, or by entities owned or controlled by him. The measures include the freezing of funds, financial assets and economic resources of such persons and ensuring that any funds, financial assets and economic resources are not made available to them or for their benefit. The Security Council and the Committee can designate persons who are engaged in, directly associated with or providing support for Iran's proliferation-sensitive nuclear activities or the development of nuclear weapons delivery systems.

Article 3 of this Order provides that the persons designated in the Annex to the Resolution, by the Security Council, the Committee or, in accordance with article 4, the Treasury are designated persons for the purposes of the Order.

Article 4 provides that the Treasury can give directions to designate persons for the purposes of the Order if one of the specified conditions is fulfilled in respect of the person. The conditions are that the Treasury have reasonable grounds to suspect that the person is or may be a person designated in the Annex to the Resolution; by the Security Council or the Committee; a person acting on behalf of or at the direction of any such person or a person owned or controlled by any such person.

Article 5 makes further provision about the Treasury's directions, including a requirement for the Treasury to take the steps which they consider appropriate to publicise the direction. This article also includes provision about appeals.

Article 6 prohibits any dealing with funds, financial assets and economic resources of designated persons. The article makes it a criminal offence to contravene this prohibition.

Article 7 prohibits making funds, financial assets or economic resources available to designated persons. The article makes it a criminal offence to contravene this prohibition.

Article 9 makes it a criminal offence to circumvent the prohibitions or to facilitate the commission of an offence relating to a prohibition.

Article 10 provides a licensing procedure to enable, for humanitarian and other purposes, certain acts to be exempted from the prohibitions in articles 6 and 7.

Article 15 gives the Treasury power to delegate its functions under the Order.

Article 17 confirms that the provisions of this Order apply to the Crown but, in the event of a contravention, the Crown is not criminally liable.

The Schedule makes provision about information and evidence.

A partial regulatory impact assessment of the effect that this instrument will have on the costs of business may be obtained from the Asset Freezing Unit of the Financial Crime Team, HM Treasury, 1 Horse Guards Road, London SW1A 2HQ and is also available on HM Treasury's website (
www.hm-treasury.gov.uk). A copy of the regulatory impact assessment has been placed in the libraries of both Houses of Parliament.


Notes:

[1] 1946 c.45.back

[2] 2000 c.8.back

[3] 2000 c.8.back

[4] As amended by S.I.2003/2066.back

[5] 1995 c.46.back

[6] S.I. 1989/1341 (N.I. 12), to which there are amendments not relevant to this Order.back

[7] 1947 c.44.back

[8] 2003 c.44.back



ISBN 978 0 11 075765 0


 © Crown copyright 2007

Prepared 13 February 2007


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URL: http://www.bailii.org/uk/legis/num_reg/2007/20070281.html