Explanatory note

This Order is the eighth commencement order made under the Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22). It brings into force section 45 of and Schedule 17 to that Act, which make provision for deferred prosecution agreements.

A deferred prosecution agreement is an agreement between a prosecutor and an organisation facing prosecution for an economic or financial offence specified in Part 2 of Schedule 17 to the Act, by virtue of which agreement the organisation agrees to comply with a range of terms and conditions and the prosecutor agrees to instigate but then defer criminal proceedings for the alleged offence on approval of the deferred prosecution agreement.