Postal Services Act 2000

5 (1) Any reference (however worded and including references which are to be construed as such references) in a related enactment to the post or to a thing sent by post shall not be construed as limited to the postal system of the Post Office company or (as the case may be) to a thing sent by that system.

(2) In sub-paragraph (1) “related enactment” means—

(a) any enactment the provisions of which apply to, or operate in consequence of the operation of, any enactment to which paragraph 1 applies, or

(b) any enactment relating to the sending of documents or other things otherwise than by post or to documents or other things so sent.

(3) Any reference (however worded and including references which are to be construed as such references) in a related enactment to the registered post, the recorded delivery service or the first class post, or to a letter or other postal packet sent by that service or post, shall be construed as references (as the case may be) to a registered post service, a postal service which provides for the delivery of the document or other thing by post to be recorded or a postal service which seeks to deliver such documents or other things by post no later than the next working day in all or the majority of cases, or to a letter or other postal packet sent by such a service or post.

(4) In sub-paragraph (3) “related enactment” means—

(a) any enactment the provisions of which apply to, or operate in consequence of the operation of, any enactment to which paragraph 2, 3 or (as the case may be) 4 applies,

(b) any enactment relating to the sending of documents or other things otherwise than by registered post, recorded delivery or (as the case may be) first class post or to documents or other things so sent.

(5) Any reference (however worded and including references which are to be construed as such references) in a related enactment to—

(a) a Post Office receipt for a registered or recorded letter or other postal packet,

(b) an acknowledgement by the Post Office of delivery of such a letter or packet, or a certificate by the Post Office of such delivery,

shall be construed as a reference to a receipt of, or an acknowledgement or certificate by, the postal operator concerned.

(6) In sub-paragraph (5) “related enactment” means—

(a) any enactment (other than a future enactment) the provisions of which apply to, or operate in consequence of the operation of, any enactment to which paragraph 2 or (as the case may be) 3 applies,

(b) any enactment (other than a future enactment) relating to the sending of documents or other things otherwise than by registered post or recorded delivery or to documents or other things so sent.

(7) This paragraph is without prejudice to the generality of paragraphs 1 to 4.