Civil restraint orders
Understand when civil restraint orders (CROs) are issued and view the lists of people with CROs in force against them.
Applies to England and Wales
About Civil Restraint Orders (CRO)
A CRO is a court order issued by a judge.
They’re usually given when a person’s application for a court hearing is refused but they won’t accept the judge’s decision.
A CRO then stops that person from re-applying to court.
Different types of CRO
The judge will decide which is the most suitable type of order to issue.
Limited CRO (LCRO)
If a person is issued with an LCRO, it means they have to get the judge’s permission before making any application to the court covered by the order.
Extended CRO (ECRO)
If the person continues to go back to the court, a judge can issue an ECRO.
This order is limited to a specified group of courts. ECROs last 3 years, but can be renewed for a further 3 years.
General CRO (GCRO)
In the most extreme cases, the judge will grant a GCRO.
This order applies to all the county courts and the High Court. GCROs last 3 years, but can be renewed for a further 3 years.
If this order is ignored, the person will be in contempt of court and may receive a prison sentence.
Help with fees
A person who has a CRO against them cannot apply for help with fees.
If they need to apply for permission to make an application to the court, they must pay the full court fee. If successful, they can then apply for a refund by completing and submitting form EX160 to the court within 3 months of the decision.
Evidence must be provided for any application, as well as a sealed copy of the order granting permission to issue proceedings.
Lists of people with CROs
Last updated 30 March 2023 + show all updates
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Added new information to inform users that a person with a CRO against them is not able to apply for help with fees. Removed list of acronyms
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First published.