Finance Act 2003

Exercise of powers conferred by warrant E+W+S+N.I.

47 (1) An officer of the Board seeking to exercise the powers conferred by a warrant under this Part of this Schedule or, if there is more than one such officer, the one who is in charge of the search— E+W+S+N.I.

(a) if the occupier of the premises concerned is present at the time the search is to begin, shall supply a copy of the warrant endorsed with his name to the occupier;

(b) if at that time the occupier is not present but a person who appears to the officer to be in charge of the premises is present, shall supply such a copy to that person; and

(c) if neither paragraph (a) nor paragraph (b) applies, shall leave such a copy in a prominent place on the premises.

(2) An officer who enters the premises under the authority of a warrant under this Part of this Schedule may—

(a) take with him such other persons as appear to him to be necessary,

(b) seize and remove any things whatsoever found there that he has reasonable cause to believe may be required as evidence for the purposes of proceedings in respect of such an offence as is mentioned in paragraph 43(1), and

(c) search or cause to be searched any person found on the premises whom he has reasonable cause to believe to be in possession of such things.

But no person shall be searched except by a person of the same sex.

(3) In the case of information contained in a computer that—

(a) an officer who enters the premises as mentioned in sub-paragraph (2) has reasonable cause to believe may be required as evidence for the purposes mentioned in paragraph (b) of that sub-paragraph, and

(b) is accessible from the premises,

the power of seizure under that sub-paragraph includes a power to require the information to be produced in a form in which it can be taken away and in which it is visible and legible.