The Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1989

Special provisions as to access

11.—(1) A constable may obtain access to excluded material or special procedure material for the purposes of a criminal investigation by making an application under Schedule 1 and in accordance with that Schedule.

(2) Subject to paragraph (3), any statutory provision passed or made before the making of this Order under which a search of premises for the purposes of a criminal investigation could be authorised by the issue of a warrant to a constable shall cease to have effect so far as it relates to the authorisation of searches—

(a)for items subject to legal privilege; or

(b)for excluded material; or

(c)for special procedure material consisting of documents or records other than documents.

(3) Nothing in this Article or in Schedule 1 shall affect the powers conferred by section 17 of, and Schedule 7 to, the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989(1).