Can I apply for an anti-social behaviour order ex parte (i.e. without notice to the defendant)?
No, unlike in England and Wales, there is at present no facility to apply for an anti-social behaviour order without giving notice to the defendant. However, a court can make an anti-social behaviour order even if the defendant does not turn up at the court hearing, provided they have been given prior notice of the application. The power to seek ex parte interim anti-social behaviour orders is under consultation until 31 January 2008 as part of the draft Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 2007.
