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Post Office Act 1953

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This is the original version (as it was originally enacted).

56Criminal diversion of letters from addressee.

(1)If any person not in the employment of the Postmaster-General wilfully and maliciously, with intent to injure any other person, either opens or causes to be opened any postal packet which ought to have been delivered to that other person, or does any act or thing whereby the due delivery of the packet to that other person is prevented or impeded, he shall be guilty of a misdemeanour and be liable to a fine not exceeding fifty pounds or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months.

(2)Nothing in this section shall apply to a person who does any act to which this section applies where he is parent, or in the position of parent or guardian, of the person to whom the postal packet is addressed.

(3)A prosecution shall not be instituted in pursuance of this section in England or Wales except by the direction or with the consent of the Postmaster-General.

(4)In this section the expression " postal packet" means a postal packet which is in course of transmission by post or which has been delivered by post.

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