British Fishing Boats Act 1983

3 Powers of entry of British sea-fishery officers in relation to premises on land

(1) Subject to the following provisions of this section, if—

(a) in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, a justice of the peace; or

(b) in Scotland, the sheriff or a justice of the peace ;

is satisfied by information on oath that there is reasonable ground for suspecting that an offence under section 1 of this Act has been committed in relation to any fishing boat, and that any document relevant for determining whether such an offence has been committed in relation to that boat may be found on any premises specified in the information, he may grant a search warrant for the purposes of this section.

(2) The premises specified in any information laid for the purposes of subsection (1) above must be premises (other than a dwelling-house) used for carrying on a business in connection with the operation of fishing boats or activities connected with or ancillary to the operation of fishing boats.

(3) For the purposes of this section, a document shall be regarded as relevant for determining whether an offence under section 1 of this Act has been committed in relation to a fishing boat if it relates—

(a) to that boat, to its fishing operations or to other operations ancillary to its fishing operations; or

(b) to the nationality of members of the crew of that boat.

(4) A warrant granted under subsection (1) above shall authorise any British sea-fishery officer named in the warrant, with or without any constables, to enter the premises specified in the information and to search the premises for any document relevant for determining whether the suspected offence has been committed.

(5) Any such officer may require any person on any premises he has entered in pursuance of any such warrant to produce any document relevant for determining whether the suspected offence has been committed which is in his custody or possession, and may take copies of any such document.

(6) Any such officer may require any such person to do anything which appears to him to be necessary for facilitating any search carried out by him in pursuance of the warrant.

(7) Any such officer may seize and detain any document relevant for determining whether the suspected offence has been committed which is produced to him or found in the course of any such search, for the purpose of enabling the document to be used as evidence in proceedings for the offence.

(8) A warrant granted under subsection (1) above shall remain in force for a period of one month.