The Waste and Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1997

[F1 Seizure of vehicles etc: supplementary N.I.

5F— (1) Where under Article 5E an authorised officer or constable seizes a vehicle or its contents (“seized property”) on behalf of the Department, the Department may remove the seized property to such a place as it considers appropriate.

(2) The Department must deal with any seized property in accordance with regulations made by the Department.

(3) Regulations under paragraph (2) may in particular include provision as to—

(a) the duties of the Department in relation to the safe custody of seized property;

(b) the circumstances in which the Department must return any such property to a person claiming entitlement to it;

(c) the manner in which such persons, and the seized property to which they are entitled, may be determined;

(d) the circumstances in which the Department may sell, destroy or otherwise dispose of seized property;

(e) the uses to which the proceeds of any such sale may be put.

[F2 (3A) Regulations making provision under paragraph (3)(b)—

(a) must (subject to sub-paragraph (b)) provide for seized property to be returned as mentioned in paragraph (3)(b) before the expiry of a period specified in the regulations;

(b) may provide for a magistrates' court, on an application by the Department, to authorise the Department to retain the seized property until such date or the happening of such event as the court may specify;

(c) must, if they contain provision under sub-paragraph (b), provide for any person claiming to be entitled to the property to be afforded an opportunity to be heard by the court before it determines the application.]

(4) Regulations making provision under paragraph (3)(d)—

(a) must (subject to sub-paragraph (c)) require the Department to publish a notice in such form, and to take any other steps, as may be specified in the regulations for informing persons who may be entitled to the seized property that it has been seized and is available to be claimed;

(b) must (subject to sub-paragraph (c)) prohibit the Department from selling, destroying or otherwise disposing of any seized property unless a period specified in the regulations has expired without any obligation arising under the regulations for the Department to return the property to any person;

(c) may allow for the requirements in sub-paragraphs (a) and (b) to be dispensed with if the condition of the seized property requires its disposal without delay.]

F1 Arts. 5E, 5F inserted (11.3.2013) by Waste (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/611 (N.I. 3)), arts. 1(3), 9; S.R. 2013/33, art. 2(b)

F2 Art. 5F(3A) inserted (12.3.2013) by Waste and Contaminated Land (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 (c. 5), ss. 2(1), 12; S.R. 2013/34, art. 2(b)