Immigration Act 1971

[F1 Searching persons in police custody] U.K.

Textual Amendments

F1 Heading inserted (14.2.2000) by 1999 c. 33, s. 135(2); S.I. 2000/168, art. 2, Sch

[F2 25C (1) This paragraph applies if a person— U.K.

(a) has been arrested under this Schedule; and

(b) is in custody at a police station.

(2) An immigration officer may, at any time, search the arrested person in order to ascertain whether he has with him—

(a) anything which he might use to—

(i) cause physical injury to himself or others;

(ii) damage property;

(iii) interfere with evidence; or

(iv) assist his escape; or

(b) any document which might—

(i) establish his identity, nationality or citizenship; or

(ii) indicate the place from which he has travelled to the United Kingdom or to which he is proposing to go.

(3) The power may be exercised only to the extent that the officer considers it to be necessary for the purpose of discovering anything of a kind mentioned in sub-paragraph (2).

(4) An officer searching a person under this paragraph may seize and retain anything he finds, if he has reasonable grounds for believing that—

(a) that person might use it for one or more of the purposes mentioned in sub-paragraph (2)(a); or

(b) it might be a document falling within sub-paragraph (2)(b).

(5) But the officer may not retain anything seized under sub-paragraph (2)(a)—

(a) for longer than is necessary in view of the purpose for which the search was carried out; or

(b) when the person from whom it was seized is no longer in custody or is in the custody of a court but has been released on bail.

(6) The person from whom something is seized must be told the reason for the seizure unless he is—

(a) violent or appears likely to become violent; or

(b) incapable of understanding what is said to him.

(7) An intimate search may not be conducted under this paragraph.

(8) The person carrying out a search under this paragraph must be of the same sex as the person searched.

(9) “Intimate search” has the same meaning as in section 28H(11).]

Textual Amendments

F2 Sch. 2 para. 25C inserted (14.2.2000) by 1999 c. 33, s. 135(2); S.I. 2000/168, art. 2, Sch. (which amending provision is extended (with modifications) to Jersey (5.6.2003) by S.I. 2003/1252, art. 2, Sch.)