Post Office Act 1953 (repealed)

Conveyance of mail bags by ships and aircraftF21 U.K.

Textual Amendments applied to the whole legislation

F21 Act repealed (1.1.2001 for ss. 29, 44, 45, and 26.3.2001 otherwise) by 2000 c. 26, ss. 127(6), 130(1), Sch. 9 Note; S.I. 2000/2957, art. 2(2), Sch. 2 Table; S.I. 2001/878, art. 2, Sch. Table (subject to transitional and saving provisions in arts. 3-17); S.I. 2001/1148, art. 2(2), Sch. Table (subject to arts. 3-42)

25 Outward bound ships. U.K.

(1) Every master of a ship outward bound shall receive on board his ship every mail bag tendered to him by [F1 a person engaged in the business of the Post Office] for conveyance, and having received it shall deliver it, on arriving at the port or place of his destination, without delay.

(2) If the master of any such ship fails to comply with this section he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding [F2 level 4 on the standard scale].

Textual Amendments

F1 Words substituted by virtue of Post Office Act 1969 (c. 48), Sch. 4 para. 2(1)

F2 Words substituted by virtue of (E.W.) Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48, SIF 39:1), ss. 38, 46 and (S.) Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975 (c. 21, SIF 39:1), ss. 289F, 289G and (N.I.) by 1984/703 (N.I. 3), arts. 5, 6

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 25 applied (7.3.2001) by S.I. 2001/878, art. 6 (with art. 17)

26 Inward bound ships and aircraft. U.K.

(1) The three next following subsections shall apply in relation to a ship or aircraft inward bound carrying any postal packets within the exclusive privilege of the [F3 Post Office], not being packets to which the next following section applies.

(2) The master of the ship or commander of the aircraft shall collect all such postal packets on board his ship or aircraft and enclose them in some bag or other covering sealed with his seal and addressed to the [F3 Post Office] and shall without delay deliver them to the proper [F4 person engaged in the business of the Post Office] demanding them or, if no demand is made by that [F4 person], then at the post office with which he can first communicate.

(3) If the master of the ship or the commander of the aircraft does not duly comply with the provisions of the last foregoing subsection he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding [F5 level 4 on the standard scale].

(4) The master of the ship or commander of the aircraft shall not break bulk on board his ship or aircraft in any port or place before he has complied with the provisions of subsection (2) of this section and if he does so he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding [F6 level 2 on the standard scale].

(5) An officer of customs and excise may refuse to permit bulk to be broken on board any inward bound ship or aircraft until he is satisfied that any postal packets brought in that ship or aircraft which are required to be delivered under subsection (2) of this section have been so delivered.

(6) An officer of customs and excise may search any inward bound ship or aircraft for, and seize, any postal packets within the exclusive privilege of the [F3 Post Office] and forward any such packets seized to the nearest post office; and subsection (3) of section eight of this Act shall apply in relation to any packet so forwarded.

Textual Amendments

F3 Words substituted by virtue of Post Office Act 1969 (c. 48), s. 23(1)(b)

F4 Words substituted by virtue of Post Office Act 1969 (c. 48), Sch. 4 para. 2(1)

F5 Words substituted by virtue of (E.W.) Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48, SIF 39:1), ss. 38, 46 and (S.) Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975 (c. 21, SIF 39:1), ss. 289F, 289G and (N.I.) by 1984/703 (N.I. 3), arts. 5, 6

F6 Words substituted by virtue of (E.W.) Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48, SIF 39:1), s. 46 and (S.) Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975 (c. 21, SIF 39:1), s. 289G and (N.I.) by virtue of S.I. 1984/703 (N.I. 3), arts. 5, 6

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C2 S. 26 applied (with modifications) (7.3.2001) by S.I. 2001/878, art. 7 (with art. 17)

27 Owners’ letters. U.K.

(1) The two next following subsections shall apply to any letter addressed to the owner, charterer or consignee of a ship or aircraft inward bound or to the owner, consignee or shipper of any goods carried in such a ship or aircraft, being a letter which, not being excepted from the exclusive privilege of the [F7 Post Office], complies with the following conditions, that is to say—

(a) that the addressee is described in the address or superscription on the letter as such owner, charterer, consignee or shipper; and

(b) in the case of a letter addressed to an owner, consignee or shipper of goods, that it also appears by the ship’s manifest or by the manifest and declaration of the aircraft that the addressee has goods on board the ship or aircraft.

(2) Any such letter required to be delivered to a person at the place of arrival of the ship or aircraft shall be delivered to that person by the master of the ship or the commander of the aircraft free of inland postage and that person shall be entitled to the delivery thereof before the delivery of any other postal packets to the [F8 Post Office].

(3) Any such letter required to be delivered to a person at any other place in the British postal area shall be delivered by post on payment of inland postage only.

(4) If any person with intent to evade any postage falsely superscribes any letter as being for the owner, charterer or consignee of the ship or aircraft conveying the letter or for the owner, consignee or shipper of goods carried in that ship or aircraft, he shall for each offence be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding [F9 level 1 on the standard scale].

Textual Amendments

F7 Words substituted by virtue of Post Office Act 1969 (c. 48), s. 23(1)(b)

F8 Words substituted by virtue of Post Office Act 1969 (c. 48), Sch. 4 para. 2(1)

F9 Words substituted by virtue of (E.W.) Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48, SIF 39:1), s. 46 and (S.) Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975 (c. 21, SIF 39:1), s. 289G and (N.I.) by virtue of S.I. 1984/703 (N.I. 3), arts. 5, 6

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C3 S. 27 applied (with modifications) (7.3.2001) S.I. 2001/878, art. 8 (with. art. 17)

28 Retention of postal packets after delivery of part thereof to Post Office. U.K.

If any person, being the master or commander, one of the officers or crew, or a passenger, of a ship or aircraft inward bound, knowingly has in his baggage or in his possession or custody any postal packet, except a postal packet not within the exclusive privilege of the [F10 Post Office], after the master of the ship or commander of the aircraft has sent any part of the postal packets on board the ship or aircraft to the [F11 Post Office], he shall for every such packet be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding [F12 level 1 on the standard scale]; and if he detains any such packet after demand made either by an officer of customs and excise or by any person authorised by the [F10 Post Office] to demand the postal packets on board the ship or aircraft, he shall for every postal packet detained be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding [F12 level 1 on the standard scale].

Textual Amendments

F10 Words substituted by virtue of Post Office Act 1969 (c. 48), s. 23(1)(b)

F11 Words substituted by virtue of Post Office Act 1969 (c. 48), Sch. 4 para. 2(1)

F12 Words substituted by virtue of (E.W.) Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48, SIF 39:1), s. 46 and (S.) Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975 (c. 21, SIF 39:1), s. 289G and (N.I.) by virtue of S.I. 1984/703 (N.I. 3), arts. 5, 6

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C4 S. 28 applied (with modifications) (7.3.2001) by S.I. 2001/878, art. 9 (with art. 17)

29 Carriage of parcels by coasting ships. U.K.

(1) F13 . . . In the case of any mechanically-propelled ship which carries on regular communications between a port in the United Kingdom and any other port or place in the United Kingdom, [F14 or within the limited European trading area], not being a ship owned or worked by railway undertakers, the [F15 Post Office] may require the person by whom that ship is owned or worked to carry parcels in that ship.

[M1 In this subsection “the limited European trading area” means the same as in regulations under section 47 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995]

(2) The remuneration for any services rendered by a ship under this section shall be determined by agreement between the [F15 Post Office] and the person owning or working the ship or, in default of agreement, by the Transport Tribunal; and any remuneration so determined shall be paid direct to that person.

Textual Amendments

F13 Words in s. 29(1) repealed (1.4.1994) by 1993 c. 43, s. 152(3), Sch. 14; S.I. 1994/571, art. 5.

F14 Words in s. 29(1) substituted (1.1.1996) by 1995 c. 21, ss. 314(2), 316(2), Sch. 13 para. 28(a) (with s. 312(1)).

F15 Words substituted by virtue of Post Office Act 1969 (c. 48), s. 20(2)(a)

Marginal Citations

M1 1995 c.21.

30 F16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . U.K.

Textual Amendments

F16 S. 30 repealed by Statute Law Revision Act 1960 (c. 56)

31 F17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . U.K.

Textual Amendments

F17 S. 31 repealed by Post Office Act 1969 (c. 48), Sch. 11 Pt. II

32 Penalty for opening of mail bag by master or commander of ship or aircraft. U.K.

(1) If the master of a ship or the commander of an aircraft—

(a) opens a sealed mail bag with which he is entrusted for conveyance; or

(b) takes out of a mail bag with which he is entrusted for conveyance any postal packet or other thing,

he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding [F18 level 4 on the standard scale].

(2) If any person to whom postal packets have been entrusted by the master of a ship or the commander of an aircraft to deliver to the [F19 Post Office], breaks the seal, or in any manner wilfully opens them, he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding [F20 level 2 on the standard scale].

Textual Amendments

F18 Words substituted by virtue of (E.W.) Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48, SIF 39:1), ss. 38, 46 and (S.) Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975 (c. 21, SIF 39:1), ss. 289F, 289G and (N.I.) by S.I. 1984/703 (N.I. 3), arts. 5, 6

F19 Words substituted by virtue of Post Office Act 1969 (c. 48), Sch. 4 para. 2(1)

F20 Words substituted by virtue of (E.W.) Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48, SIF 39:1), s. 46 and (S.) Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975 (c. 21, SIF 39:1), s. 289G and (N.I.) by virtue of S.I. 1984/703 (N.I. 3), arts. 5, 6

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C5 S. 32 applied (with modifications) (7.3.2001) by S.I. 2001/878, art. 10 (with art. 17)