Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980

[F1 125C Disclosure of information for enforcing warrants. E+W

(1) Basic personal information held by a relevant public authority may, on the application of [F2 the designated officer for a magistrates' court], be supplied by the authority to him F3 ... for the purpose of facilitating the enforcement of a section 125A(1) warrant which is so specified.

(2) In this section—

• “basic personal information” means a person’s name, date of birth or national insurance number or the address (or any of the addresses) of a person;

• “relevant public authority” means a Minister of the Crown, government department, local authority or chief officer of police specified in an order made by the Lord Chancellor; and

• “a section 125A(1) warrant” means a warrant to which section 125A(1) above applies F4 . . .

(3) Information supplied to any person under subsection (1) above, or this subsection, for the purpose of facilitating the enforcement of a section 125A(1) warrant may be supplied by him for that purpose to—

(a) any person entitled to execute the warrant;

(b) any employee of a body or person who, for the purposes of section 125B above, is an approved enforcement agency in relation to the warrant; or

[F5 (c) any F6 ... person appointed under section 2(1) of the Courts Act 2003.]

(4) A person who intentionally or recklessly—

(a) discloses information supplied to him under this section otherwise than as permitted by subsection (3) above; or

(b) uses information so supplied otherwise than for the purpose of facilitating the enforcement of the section 125A(1) warrant concerned,

commits an offence.

(5) But it is not an offence under subsection (4) above—

(a) to disclose any information in accordance with any enactment or order of a court or for the purposes of any proceedings before a court; or

(b) to disclose any information which has previously been lawfully disclosed to the public.

(6) A person guilty of an offence under subsection (4) above is liable—

(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum; or

(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine.

(7) The power to make orders conferred by subsection (2) above shall be exercisable by statutory instrument which shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.]

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 125C inserted (8.1.2001) by 1999 c. 22, s. 94, (with s. 107, Sch. 14 para. 7(2)); S.I. 2000/3280, art. 2(b) (with transitional provisions in art. 3)

F2 Words in s. 125C(1) substituted (1.4.2005) by Courts Act 2003 (c. 39), ss. 109(1), 110, Sch. 8 para. 240(2)(a); S.I. 2005/910, art. 3(y)

F3 Words in s. 125C(1) omitted (6.4.2020) by virtue of Courts and Tribunals (Judiciary and Functions of Staff) Act 2018 (c. 33), s. 4(3), Sch. para. 8(2); S.I. 2020/24, reg. 3(b)

F4 Words in s. 125C(2) repealed (1.4.2005) by Courts Act 2003 (c. 39), ss. 109(1)(3), 110, Sch. 8 para. 240(3), Sch. 10; S.I. 2005/910, art. 3(y)(aa)

F5 S. 125C(3)(c) substituted (1.4.2005) by Courts Act 2003 (c. 39), ss. 109(1), 110, Sch. 8 para. 240(4); S.I. 2005/910, art. 3(y)

F6 Words in s. 125C(3)(c) omitted (6.4.2020) by virtue of Courts and Tribunals (Judiciary and Functions of Staff) Act 2018 (c. 33), s. 4(3), Sch. para. 8(3); S.I. 2020/24, reg. 3(b)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 125C extended (8.1.2001) by S.I. 2000/3277, art. 2

C2 S. 125-126 applied (23.2.2004) by S.I. 2004/176, reg. 10