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Customs and Excise Management Act 1979
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Changes over time for: Section 163
Changes to legislation:
Customs and Excise Management Act 1979, Section 163 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 17 November 2024. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.
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Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. Changes and effects are recorded by our editorial team in lists which can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area. Where those effects have yet to be applied to the text of the legislation by the editorial team they are also listed alongside the legislation in the affected provisions. Use the ‘more’ link to open the changes and effects relevant to the provision you are viewing.
Changes and effects yet to be applied to the whole Act associated Parts and Chapters:
Whole provisions yet to be inserted into this Act (including any effects on those provisions):
- s. 95(1A)(1B) inserted by 2023 c. 30 s. 110(2)
- s. 119(7) inserted by S.I. 2022/109 reg. 2(3)(f) (This amendment not applied to legislation.gov.uk. The affecting statutory instrument has no legal effect. It was made under a procedure which meant that it ceased to have effect 28 days after signing unless it was debated and approved in Parliament within that time. It was not debated and approved within 28 days, so it has expired with no effect.)
- s. 160(2A) inserted by 2023 c. 30 Sch. 13 para. 26(3)
163 Power to search vehicles F1...U.K.
(1)Without prejudice to any other power conferred by the Customs and Excise Acts 1979 [F2or Part 1 of the Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018], where there are reasonable grounds to suspect that any vehicle F3... is or may be carrying any goods which are—
(a)chargeable with any duty which has not been paid or secured; or
(b)in the course of being unlawfully removed from or to any place; or
(c)otherwise liable to forfeiture under the customs and excise Acts,
any officer or constable or member of Her Majesty’s armed forces or coastguard may stop and search that vehicle F4....
[F5(1A)The officer, constable or member may use reasonable force if necessary for the purpose of exercising the power in subsection (1).]
(2)If when so required by any such officer, constable or member the person in charge of any such vehicle F6... refuses to stop or to permit the vehicle F6... to be searched, he shall be liable on summary conviction to a penalty of [F7level 3 on the standard scale].
[F8(3)F9... The power to stop and search in subsection (1) above shall not be available in respect of aircraft which are airborne.]
Textual Amendments
F1Words in s. 163 heading omitted (13.9.2018 for specified purposes, 31.12.2020 in so far as not already in force) by virtue of Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018 (c. 22), s. 57(1)(a), Sch. 7 para. 111(5) (with savings and transitional provisions in S.I. 2020/1449, reg. 3 and 2020 c. 26, Sch. 2 para. 7(7)-(9)); S.I. 2020/1642, reg. 4(a)
F2Words in s. 163(1) inserted (13.9.2018 for specified purposes, 31.12.2020 in so far as not already in force) by Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018 (c. 22), s. 57(1)(a), Sch. 7 para. 111(2)(a)(i) (with savings and transitional provisions in S.I. 2020/1449, reg. 3 and 2020 c. 26, Sch. 2 para. 7(7)-(9)); S.I. 2020/1642, reg. 4(a)
F3Words in s. 163(1) omitted (13.9.2018 for specified purposes, 31.12.2020 in so far as not already in force) by virtue of Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018 (c. 22), s. 57(1)(a), Sch. 7 para. 111(2)(a)(ii) (with savings and transitional provisions in S.I. 2020/1449, reg. 3 and 2020 c. 26, Sch. 2 para. 7(7)-(9)); S.I. 2020/1642, reg. 4(a)
F4Words in s. 163(1) omitted (13.9.2018 for specified purposes, 31.12.2020 in so far as not already in force) by virtue of Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018 (c. 22), s. 57(1)(a), Sch. 7 para. 111(2)(b) (with savings and transitional provisions in S.I. 2020/1449, reg. 3 and 2020 c. 26, Sch. 2 para. 7(7)-(9)); S.I. 2020/1642, reg. 4(a)
F5S. 163(1A) inserted (15.3.2018) by Finance Act 2018 (c. 3), s. 47
F6Words in s. 163(2) omitted (13.9.2018 for specified purposes, 31.12.2020 in so far as not already in force) by virtue of Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018 (c. 22), s. 57(1)(a), Sch. 7 para. 111(3) (with savings and transitional provisions in S.I. 2020/1449, reg. 3 and 2020 c. 26, Sch. 2 para. 7(7)-(9)); S.I. 2020/1642, reg. 4(a)
F7Words substituted by virtue of (E.W.) Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48, SIF 39:1), ss. 38, 46 and (S.) Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975 (c. 21, SIF 39:1), ss. 289F, 289G (as inserted by Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48, SIF 39:1), s. 54) and (N.I.) by S.I. 1984/703, (N.I. 3) arts. 5, 6
F8S. 163(3) inserted (16.7.1992) by Finance (No. 2) Act 1992 (c. 48), s. 10(4).
F9Words in s. 163(3) omitted (13.9.2018 for specified purposes, 31.12.2020 in so far as not already in force) by virtue of Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018 (c. 22), s. 57(1)(a), Sch. 7 para. 111(4) (with savings and transitional provisions in S.I. 2020/1449, reg. 3 and 2020 c. 26, Sch. 2 para. 7(7)-(9)); S.I. 2020/1642, reg. 4(a)
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C1S. 163 amended by S.I. 1988/1852 (N.I. 19), art. 4(2)
C2S. 163 extended (E.W.S.) by Scotch Whisky Act 1988 (c. 22, SIF 109:1), s. 1(4)
C3S. 163 applied (with modifications) (6.4.2018) by The Soft Drinks Industry Levy (Enforcement) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/264), regs. 1(1), 2, Sch. (with regs. 3-5)
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