The Virgin Islands Constitution Order 2007

Protection of private and family life and privacy of home and other property

19.—(1) Every person has the right to respect for his or her private and family life, his or her home and his or her correspondence, including business and professional communications.

(2) Except with his or her own consent, no person shall be subjected to the search of his or her person or property or the entry by others on his or her premises.

(3) Nothing in any law or done under its authority shall be held to contravene this section to the extent that it is reasonably justifiable in a democratic society—

(a) in the interests of defence, public safety, public order, public morality, public health, town and country planning, the development of mineral resources, or the development or utilisation of any other property in such manner as to promote the public benefit;

(b) for the purpose of protecting the rights and freedoms of other persons;

(c) to enable an officer or agent of the Government of the Virgin Islands, a local government authority or a body corporate established by law for public purposes to enter on the premises of any person in order to inspect those premises or anything on them for the purpose of any tax, rate or due or in order to carry out work connected with any property that is lawfully on those premises and that belongs to the Government of the Virgin Islands or that authority or body corporate, as the case may be;

(d) to authorise, for the purpose of enforcing the judgment or order of a court in any proceedings, the search of any person or property by order of a court or the entry upon any premises by such order; or

(e) for the prevention or detection of offences against the criminal law or the customs law.