Seizure and management of proceeds of crime

As the executive officer of the Royal Court,  the Viscount is responsible for executing  and enforcing the courts orders.  This includes orders made under the Proceeds of Crime (Jersey) Law 1999 and other enactments with respect to the seizure and management of property.  

In certain circumstances the Attorney General may apply to the Royal Court for a Saisie Judiciaire or for other orders that enable the seizure of assets that are believed to be the proceeds of crime or that may be used for criminal purposes.  On the making of such an order by the Court, the ownership of the assets is transferred to the Viscount and the Viscount's Department takes control of the assets and manages them pursuant to the Court's directions.

The Viscount's Department is one of, if not the oldest asset management office in the world. As well as managing and maintaining seized property,  the Viscount is also responsible for the subsequent execution of confiscation and forfeiture orders that might be made by the Court.  In such cases the Viscount's Department works to ensure that the assets are realised in an appropriate way that fulfils the Court's orders. 

The seized assets that the Viscount manages and may need to sell can take many forms, such as vehicles, houses, cash, and Investments. The Enforcement Team leads the Viscount's Department's work to seize, manage and sell these assets. In view of the range and sophistication of the assets involved, the Department often works closely with a range of partners in the public and private sector to fulfil its duties.

This is significant and growing area of the Viscount's Department's work and was recognised in Jersey's 2024 Mutual Evaluation Report by Moneyval. The Department's commitment to combatting financial crime is also reflected in our participation in the memorandum of understanding with Jersey law enforcement agencies on Financial Crime Investigation and Criminal Asset Recovery in Jersey

Jersey's commitment to con-ordinated action to tackle financial crime is also reflected in the Viscount's Department's participation in the Criminal Assets Management and Enforcement Regulators Association (CAMERA)  (of which Jersey is a founding member of) and the Balkan Asset Management Interagency Network (BARMIN) (where Jersey has observer status).