PART 3
OTHER FORMS OF ASSISTANCE

Forms of assistance

Freezing order in respect of property liable to forfeiture
42. Where the Governor receives a request from the ICC for assistance in the freezing or seizure of proceeds, property and assets or instrumentalities of crime for the purpose of eventual forfeiture, he may—

(a) authorise a person to act on behalf of the ICC for the purpose of applying for a freezing order, and
(b) direct that person to apply for such an order under Schedule 6.

SCHEDULE 6
SUPPLEMENTARY PROVISIONS

Application for freezing order

1.—(1) A freezing order may be made by the Supreme Court on an application in pursuance of a direction given by the Governor under section 38, and any such application may be made without notice and may be granted without a hearing.

(2) Omitted


Grounds for making order

2. The Court may make a freezing order if it is satisfied—

(a) that a forfeiture order has been made in proceedings before the ICC, or
(b) that there are reasonable grounds for believing that a forfeiture order may be made in such proceedings,

and that the property to which the order relates consists of or includes property that is or may be affected by such a forfeiture order.


Effect of order

3.—(1) A “freezing order” is an order prohibiting any person from dealing with property specified in the order otherwise than in accordance with such conditions and exceptions as may be specified in the order.

(2) A freezing order shall provide for notice to be given to persons affected by the order.


Variation or discharge of order

4.—(1) A freezing order may be varied or discharged in relation to any property on the application of any person affected by the order.

(2) A freezing order shall be discharged on the conclusion of the ICC proceedings in relation to which the order was made.


Power to appoint receiver
5.—(1) The powers conferred by this paragraph may be exercised if a freezing order is in force.

(2) The Supreme Court may at any time appoint a receiver—

(a) to take possession of any property specified in the order, and
(b) in accordance with the court’s directions, to manage or otherwise deal with the property in respect of which he is appointed,

subject to such exceptions and conditions as may be specified by the Court.

(3) The Supreme Court may require any person having possession of property in respect of which a receiver is appointed under this paragraph to give possession of it to the receiver.

(4) The powers conferred on a receiver by this paragraph shall be exercised with a view to securing that the property specified in the order is available for satisfying the forfeiture order or, as the case may be, any forfeiture order that may be made in the ICC proceedings in relation to which the order was made.

(5) A receiver appointed under this paragraph shall not be liable to any person in respect of any loss or damage resulting from any action taken by him which he believed on reasonable grounds that he was entitled to take, except in so far as the loss or damage is caused by his negligence.


Seizure to prevent removal from jurisdiction

6.—(1) Where a freezing order has been made, a constable may, for the purpose of preventing any property specified in the order from being removed from the Territory, seize the property.

(2) Omitted.

(3) Property seized under this paragraph shall be dealt with in accordance with the directions of the Supreme Court.


Registered land

7.—(1) The provisions of the law of the Territory relating to registered land apply—

(a) in relation to freezing orders, as they apply in relation to orders affecting land made by the court for the purpose of enforcing judgments or recognisances; and
(b) in relation to applications for freezing orders, as they apply in relation to other pending land actions.

(2) The ICC shall be treated for the purposes of those provisions as a person interested in relation to any registered land to which a freezing order or an application for a freezing order relates.


8. Omitted.


Bankruptcy

9.—(1) Where a person is adjudged bankrupt in the Territory, property for the time being subject to a freezing order made before the order adjudging him bankrupt, and any proceeds of property realised by virtue of paragraph 5(2) for the time being in the hands of a receiver appointed under that paragraph, is excluded from the bankrupt’s estate for the purposes of the law of the Territory relating to bankruptcy.

(2) Where a person has been adjudged bankrupt in the Territory, the powers conferred on a receiver appointed under paragraph 5 above shall not be exercised in relation to—

(a) property for the time being comprised in the bankrupt’s estate for the purposes of the said law of the Territory;
(b) property in respect of which his trustee in bankruptcy may (without the leave of the court) serve a notice under any law of the Territory for the purpose of making available as part of a bankrupt person’s estate after-acquired property and tools, clothes and other items exceeding the value of their reasonable replacement, and tenancies, and
(c) property which is to be applied for the benefit of creditors of the bankrupt by virtue of a condition imposed under the law of the Territory in an order of the court discharging him from bankruptcy with respect to any income which may subsequently become due to him, or with respect to property devolving upon him, or acquired by him, after his discharge.

(3) Nothing in the law of the Territory relating to bankruptcy shall be taken as restricting, or enabling the restriction of, the exercise of those powers.

(4) Where, in the case of a debtor, an interim receiver stands appointed under any provision of that law and any property of the debtor is subject to a freezing order, the powers conferred on the receiver by virtue of any provision of that law do not apply to property for the time being subject to the freezing order.

(5) In any case in which a petition in bankruptcy was presented, or a receiving order or an adjudication in bankruptcy was made, before the date on which the present law of the Territory relating to bankruptcy came into force, this paragraph shall have effect with the substitution of such references to the law in force before that date as may be necessary.

10. Omitted.


Winding up

11.—(1) Where an order for the winding up of a company has been made under the law of the Territory, or a resolution has been passed by a company for voluntary winding up under that law, the functions of the liquidator (or any provisional liquidator) shall not be exercisable in relation to—

(a) property for the time being subject to a freezing order made before the relevant time, and
(b) any proceeds of property realised by virtue of paragraph 5(2) for the time being in the hands of a receiver appointed under that paragraph.

(2) Where such an order has been made or such a resolution has been passed, the powers conferred on a receiver appointed under paragraph 5 shall not be exercised in relation to any property held by the company in relation to which the functions of the liquidator are exercisable—

(a) so as to inhibit him from exercising those functions for the purpose of distributing any property held by the company to the company’s creditors; or
(b) so as to prevent the payment out of any property of expenses (including the remuneration of the liquidator or any provisional liquidator) properly incurred in the winding up in respect of the property.

(3) Nothing in the law of the Territory relating to bankruptcy or the winding up of companies shall be taken as restricting, or enabling the restriction of, the exercise of those powers.

(4) In this paragraph—

“company” means any company which may be wound up under the law of the Territory; and “relevant time” means—

(a) where no order for the winding up of the company has been made, the time of the passing of the resolution for voluntary winding up;
(b) where such an order has been made and, before the presentation of the petition for the winding up of the company by the court, such a resolution had been passed by the company, the time of the passing of the resolution; and
(c) in any other case where such an order has been made, the time of the making of the order.

(5) In any case in which the winding up of a company commenced or is treated as having commenced before the date on which the present law of the Territory relating to winding up came into force, this paragraph shall have effect with the substitution of such references to the law in force before that date as may be necessary.

12. Omitted.


Protection of insolvency practitioners

13.—(1) This paragraph applies where an insolvency practitioner seizes or disposes of property which is subject to a freezing order and—

(a) he reasonably believes that he is entitled to do so in the exercise of his functions, and
(b) he would be so entitled if the property were not subject to a freezing order.

(2) The insolvency practitioner shall not be liable to any person in respect of any loss or damage resulting from the seizure or disposal except in so far as the loss or damage is caused by his negligence.

(3) The insolvency practitioner shall have a lien on the property seized or the proceeds of its sale—

(a) for such of his expenses as were incurred in connection with the insolvency proceedings in relation to which the seizure or disposal purported to take place, and
(b) for so much of his remuneration as may be reasonably assigned for his acting in connection with those proceedings.

(4) Sub-paragraphs (1) to (3) are without prejudice to the generality of any provision contained in the law of the Territory relating to the expenses or remuneration of an insolvency practitioner.

(5) In this paragraph “insolvency practitioner” means a person acting as such and, for the purposes of this paragraph, the question whether any person is acting as such shall be determined in accordance with sub-paragraphs (6), (7) and (8) except that the expression shall also include an Official Receiver (however styled) acting as receiver or manager of property.

(6) For the purposes of this paragraph a person acts as an insolvency practitioner in relation to a company by acting—

(a) as its liquidator, provisional liquidator, administrator or administrative receiver, or
(b) as supervisor of a voluntary arrangement approved by it under the law for the time being in force in the Territory relating to the insolvency of companies.

(7) For the purposes of this paragraph a person acts as an insolvency practitioner in relation to an individual by acting—

(a) as his trustee in bankruptcy or interim receiver of his property, or
(b) as trustee under a deed which is a deed of arrangement made for the benefit of his creditors, or
(c) as supervisor of a voluntary arrangement proposed by him and approved under the law for the time being in force in the Territory relating to the insolvency of individuals, or
(d) in the case of a deceased individual to whose estate the provisions of the law for the time being in force in the Territory relating to the administration of the insolvent estates of deceased persons apply, as administrator of that estate.

(8) References in sub-paragraph (7) to an individual include, except in so far as the context otherwise requires, references to a partnership.


Interpretation

14.—(1) For the purposes of this Schedule—

(a) “property” includes money and all other property, real or personal, heritable or moveable, and including things in action and other intangible or incorporeal property; and
(b) “dealing with property” includes (without prejudice to the generality of that expression)—

(i) where a debt is owed to a person, making a payment to any person in reduction of the amount of the debt, and
(ii) removing the property from the Territory.

(2) For the purposes of this Schedule ICC proceedings are concluded—

(a) when there is no further possibility of a forfeiture order being made in the proceedings; or
(b) on the satisfaction of a forfeiture order made in the proceedings (whether by the recovery of all the property liable to be recovered, or otherwise).

Article 93
Other forms of cooperation
1. States Parties shall, in accordance with the provisions of this Part and under procedures of national law, comply with requests by the Court to provide the following assistance in relation to investigations or prosecutions:
(k) The identification, tracing and freezing or seizure of proceeds, property and assets and instrumentalities of crimes for the purpose of eventual forfeiture, without prejudice to the rights of bona fide third parties