Article 4 Commencement of work

Subject to paragraph (2) below, the relevant officer shall arrange for an offender’s performance of work under the order to begin no later than the tenth working day following that on which the relevant officer is notified that the community service order in question has been made.

The relevant officer may permit an offender to begin to perform work under a community service order later than the tenth working day following that on which he is notified of the making of the order if the relevant officer is unable before then to obtain sufficient information about the offender and his circumstances to enable him to satisfy himself that the work then available may be performed by that offender without undue risk to the public, or if the illness of the offender or other exceptional circumstances make such delay unavoidable.