Modifications etc. (not altering text)
The following section shall be inserted in the M1Solicitors Act 1974 after section 22 (unqualified person not to prepare certain instruments)—
(1)Any authorised officer who has reasonable cause to suspect that an offence may have been committed under section 22 may, at any reasonable time—
(a)enter any premises which are not used solely as a dwelling;
(b)require any officer, agent or other competent person on the premises who is, or may be, in possession of information relevant to an investigation under section 22, to provide such information;
(c)require the production of any document which may be relevant to such an investigation;
(d)take copies, or extracts, of any such documents;
(e)seize and retain any document which he has reason to believe may be required as evidence in proceedings for an offence under section 22.
(2)Any person exercising any power given by subsection (1) shall, if asked to do so, produce evidence that he is an authorised officer.
(3)A justice of the peace may issue a warrant under this section if satisfied, on information on oath given by an authorised officer, that there is reasonable cause to believe that an offence may have been committed under section 22 and that—
(a)entry to the premises concerned, or production of any documents which may be relevant to an investigation under section 22, has been or is likely to be refused to an authorised officer; or
(b)there is reasonable cause to believe that, if production of any such document were to be required by the authorised officer without a warrant having been issued under this section, the document would not be produced but would be removed from the premises or hidden, tampered with or destroyed.
(4)A warrant issued under this section shall authorise the authorised officer accompanied, where he considers it appropriate, by a constable or any other person—
(a)to enter the premises specified in the information, using such force as is reasonably necessary; and
(b)to exercise any of the powers given to the authorised officer by subsection (1).
(5)If a person—
(a)intentionally obstructs an authorised officer in the exercise of any power under this section;
(b)intentionally fails to comply with any requirement properly imposed on him by an authorised officer in the exercise of any such power;
(c)fails, without reasonable excuse, to give to an authorised officer any assistance or information which he may reasonably require of him for the purpose of exercising any such power; or
(d)in giving to an authorised officer any information which he has been required to give to an authorised officer exercising any such power, makes any statement which he knows to be false or misleading in a material particular,
he shall be guilty of an offence.
(6)A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.
(7)Nothing in this section shall be taken to require any person to answer any question put to him by an authorised officer, or to give any information to an authorised officer, if to do so might incriminate him.
(8)In this section—
“authorised officer” means any officer of a local weights and measures authority who is authorised by the authority to exercise the powers given by subsection (1); and
“document” includes information recorded in any form.
(9)In relation to information recorded otherwise than in legible form, references in this section to its production include references to producing a copy of the information in legible form.”
Marginal Citations