Medicines Act 1968

111 Rights of entry. U.K.

(1) Subject to the following provisions of this section, any person duly authorised in writing by an enforcement authority shall, on production, if required, of his credentials, have a right at any reasonable time to enter any premises—

(a) for the purpose of ascertaining whether there is or has been, on or in connection with those premises, any contravention of any provisions of this Act or of any regulations or order made under this Act which, by or under any provisions of sections 108 to 110 of this Act, that authority is required or empowered to enforce, or

(b) generally for the purposes of the performance by the authority of their functions under this Act or under any such regulations or order.

(2) Any person duly authorised in writing by an enforcement authority shall, on production, if required, of his credentials, have a right at any reasonable time—

(a) to enter any ship, aircraft or hover vehicle for the purpose of ascertaining whether there is in the ship, aircraft or vehicle any substance or article imported in contravention of any provisions of this Act or of any regulations or order made under this Act which, by or under any provisions of sections 108 to 110 of this Act, that authority is required or empowered to enforce;

(b) to enter any vehicle other than a hover vehicle, any stall or place other than premises, or any home-going ship, for any purpose for which under subsection (1) of this section the person so authorised would have a right to enter any premises.

(3) Without prejudice to subsection (1) of this section, any person duly authorised in writing by the licensing authority shall, on production, if required, of his credentials, have a right at any reasonable time to enter any premises occupied by an applicant for a licence or certificate under Part II of this Act for the purpose of verifying any statement contained in the application for the licence or certificate.

(4) Admission to any premises used only as a private dwelling-house shall not be demanded as of right by virtue of the preceding provisions of this section unless twenty-four hours’ notice of the intended entry has been given to the occupier.

(5) If a justice of the peace, on sworn information in writing, is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for entering any premises for any purpose for which a person authorised by an enforcement authority has a right to enter them in accordance with the preceding provisions of this section, and is also satisfied—

(a) that admission to the premises has been refused, or that a refusal is apprehended, and (in either case) that notice of the intention to apply for a warrant has been given to the occupier, or

(b) that an application for admission, or the giving of such a notice, would defeat the object of the entry, or

(c) that the case is one of urgency, or

(d) that the premises are unoccupied or the occupier is temporarily absent,

the justice may by warrant under his hand authorise the enforcement authority, or any person duly authorised by them, to enter the premises, if need be by force.

(6) The last preceding subsection shall have effect in relation to entering any ship, aircraft, vehicle, stall or place which may be entered under subsection (2) of this section as it has effect in relation to entering any premises, as if in the last preceding subsection any reference to the occupier were a reference to the master, commander or other person in charge of the ship, aircraft, vehicle, stall or place.

(7) Any warrant granted under this section shall continue in force for a period of one month.

(8) In this section “home-going ship” means a ship plying exclusively in inland waters or engaged exclusively in coastal voyages; and for the purposes of this subsection “inland waters” means any canal, river, lake, loch, navigation or estuary and “coastal voyage” means a voyage which starts and ends in the United Kingdom and does not involve calling at any place outside the United Kingdom.

(9) In the application of this section to Scotland, references to a justice of the peace include references to the sheriff and a magistrate.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 Pt. VIII (ss. 104–136) extended by S.I.s 1982/425, art. 3, 1984/187 art. 2; and extended with modifications by S.I. 1985/403, art. 3(1)

C2 S. 111 modified (30.1.1992) by S.I. 1992/32, reg. 12(1)(2)

S. 111 extended (with modifications) (14.2.1994) by S.I. 1994/105, reg. 19, Sch.4

S. 111 applied (1.1.1995) by S.I. 1994/3142, reg. 18(2)

S. 111 applied (31.3.1997) by S.I. 1997/322, reg. 34, Sch.5

S. 111 applied (with modifications) (1.1.1995) by S.I. 1994/3144, reg.10, Sch. 4

S. 111 (other than s. 111(3)) applied (1.2.2000) by S.I. 2000/7, reg. 5

C3 Ss. 108-114 applied (with modifications) (1.7.1992) by S.I. 1992/1520, reg.12.

C4 Ss. 108-115 modified (3.4.1992) by S.I. 1992/605, regs. 2(3), 3

Ss. 108-115 applied (3.10.1994) by S.I. 1994/2328, reg. 11(c)