Further and Higher Education Act 1992

[F1 85AA Power of members of staff to search students for prohibited items: England U.K.

(1) This section applies where a member of staff of an institution within the further education sector in England [F2 , or a 16 to 19 Academy,] —

(a) has reasonable grounds for suspecting that a student at the institution may have a prohibited item with him or her or in his or her possessions; and

(b) falls within section 85AB(1).

(2) The member of staff may search the student (“S”) or S's possessions for that item (but this is subject to subsection (5)).

(3) For the purposes of this section and section 85AC each of the following is a “prohibited item”—

(a) an article to which section 139 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 applies (knives and blades etc);

(b) an offensive weapon, within the meaning of the Prevention of Crime Act 1953;

(c) alcohol, within the meaning of section 191 of the Licensing Act 2003;

(d) a controlled drug, within the meaning of section 2 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, which section 5(1) of that Act makes it unlawful for S to have in S's possession;

(e) a stolen article;

[F3 (ea) an article that the member of staff reasonably suspects has been, or is likely to be, used—

(i) to commit an offence, or

(ii) to cause personal injury to, or damage to the property of, any person (including S);]

(f) an article of a kind specified in regulations.

(4) In subsection (3)(e) “stolen”, in relation to an article, has the same meaning as it has by virtue of section 24 of the Theft Act 1968 in the provisions of that Act relating to goods which have been stolen.

(5) A member of staff may not under this section search S or S's possessions for alcohol if S is aged 18 or over.

(6) In this section and section 85AB—

• “member of staff”, in relation to an institution within the further education sector [F4 or a 16 to 19 Academy] , means any person who works at that institution whether or not as its employee;

• “possessions”, in relation to S, includes any goods over which S has or appears to have control.

(7) The powers conferred by this section and sections 85AB and 85AC are in addition to any powers exercisable by the member of staff in question apart from those sections and are not to be construed as restricting such powers.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Ss. 85AA-85AD inserted (1.9.2010) by Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 (c. 22), ss. 244(1), 269(4); S.I. 2010/303, art. 6, Sch. 5 (as amended (26.7.2010) by S.I. 2010/1891, art. 2(2) (with art. 3))

F2 Words in s. 85AA(1) inserted (1.4.2012) by Education Act 2011 (c. 21), s. 82(3), Sch. 13 para. 8(3)(a); S.I. 2012/924, art. 2

F3 S. 85AA(3)(ea) inserted (1.4.2012) by Education Act 2011 (c. 21), ss. 3(2), 82(3); S.I. 2012/924, art. 2

F4 Words in s. 85AA(6) inserted (1.4.2012) by Education Act 2011 (c. 21), s. 82(3), Sch. 13 para. 8(3)(b); S.I. 2012/924, art. 2