Police Act 1997

94 Authorisations given in absence of authorising officer. U.K.

(1) Subsection (2) applies where it is not reasonably practicable for an authorising officer to consider an application for an authorisation under section 93 and—

(a) if the authorising officer is within paragraph (b) [F1 , (e) or (f)] of section 93(5), it is also not reasonably practicable for the application to be considered by any of the other persons within the paragraph concerned; F2 . . . [F3 or]

(b) if the authorising officer is within paragraph (a), (c) [F4 or (d)] of section 93(5), it is also not reasonably practicable for the application to be considered by his designated deputy F5 ...

F5 (c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(2) Where this subsection applies, the powers conferred on the authorising officer by section 93 may, in an urgent case, be exercised—

(a) where the authorising officer is within paragraph (a) or (d) of subsection (5) of that section, by a person holding the rank of assistant chief constable in his force;

(b) where the authorising officer is within paragraph (b) of that subsection, by a person holding the rank of commander in the metropolitan police force;

(c) where the authorising officer is within paragraph (c) of that subsection, by a person holding the rank of commander in the City of London police force;

(d) where the authorising officer is within paragraph (e) of that subsection, by a person holding the rank of assistant chief constable in the [F6 Police Service of Northern Ireland];

[F7 (da) where the authorising officer is within paragraph (ea) of that subsection, by a person holding the rank of deputy or assistant chief constable in the Ministry of Defence Police;

(db) where the authorising officer is within paragraph (eb) of that subsection, by a person holding the position of assistant Provost Marshal in the [F8 Royal Navy Police];

(dc) where the authorising officer is within paragraph (ec) or (ed) of that subsection, by a person holding the position of deputy Provost Marshal in the Royal Military Police or, as the case may be, in the Royal Air Force Police;

(dd) where the authorising officer is within paragraph (ee) of that subsection, by a person holding the rank of deputy or assistant chief constable in the F9 British Transport Police;]

[F10 (e) where the authorising officer is within paragraph (f) of that subsection, by a person designated for the purposes of this section by the Director General of the Serious Organised Crime Agency;]

(f) where the authorising officer is within paragraph (h) of that subsection, by a customs officer designated by the Commissioners of Customs and Excise for the purposes of this section.

[F11 (g) where the authorising officer is within paragraph (i) of that subsection, by an officer of the Office of Fair Trading designated by it for the purposes of this section.]

[F12 (h) where the authorising officer is within paragraph (j) of that subsection, by a person mentioned in subsection (5).]

F13 (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4) In subsection (1), “designated deputy”—

[F14 (a) in the case of an authorising officer within paragraph (a) of section 93(5), means—

(i) the person who is the appropriate deputy chief constable for the purposes of section 12A(1) of the Police Act 1996, or

(ii) the person holding the rank of assistant chief constable designated to act under section 12A(2) of that Act;]

[F15 (aa) in the case of an authorising officer within paragraph (d) of section 93(5), means the person holding the rank of—

(i) deputy chief constable and, where there is more than one person in a police force who holds that rank, who is designated as the officer having the powers and duties conferred on a deputy chief constable by section 5A(1) of the Police (Scotland) Act 1967; or

(ii) assistant chief constable who is designated to act under section 5A(2) of that Act;]

(b) in the case of an authorising officer within paragraph (c) of section 93(5), means the person authorised to act F16 . . . under section 25 of the M1 City of London Police Act 1839; F17 . . .

F18 (c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(d) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[F19 (5) The person referred to in subsection (2)(h) is—

(a) the chief constable whose relevant area (within the meaning of section 93(6)(b)) is the area to which the application for authorisation relates; or

(b) his designated deputy (within the meaning of subsection (4)(aa)); or

(c) where it is not reasonably practicable for the chief constable or his designated deputy to consider the application, a person holding the rank of assistant chief constable in the chief constable's police force.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 94(1)(a) substituted (1.4.2006) by Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15), s. 178(8), Sch. 4 para. 98(2)(a); S.I. 2006/378, art. 4(1), Sch. para. 10

F2 Word at the end of s. 94(1)(a) repealed (25.9.2000) by 2000 c. 23, s. 82(2), Sch. 5 (with s. 82(3)); S.I. 2000/2543, art. 2

F3 Word in s. 94(1)(a) inserted (1.4.2006) by Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15), s. 178(8), Sch. 4 para. 98(2)(b); S.I. 2006/378, art. 4(1), Sch. para. 10

F4 Words in s. 94(1)(b) substituted (1.4.2006) by Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15), s. 178(8), Sch. 4 para. 98(2)(c); S.I. 2006/378, art. 4(1), Sch. para. 10

F5 S. 94(1)(c) and word repealed (1.4.2006) by Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15), s. 178(8), Sch. 4 para. 98(2)(d), Sch. 17 Pt. 2; S.I. 2006/378, art. 4(1), Sch. paras. 10, 13(dd)

F6 Words in s. 94(2)(d) substituted (4.11.2001) by 2000 c. 32, s. 78(1), Sch. 6 para. 20(2)(b); S.R. 2001/396, art. 2, Sch.

F7 S. 94(2)(da)-(dd) inserted (25.9.2000) by 2000 c. 23, s. 82(1), Sch. 4 para. 8(4)(a) (with s. 82(3)); S.I. 2000/2543, art. 2

F8 Words in s. 94(2)(db) substituted (4.6.2007) by Armed Forces Act 2006 (c. 52), s. 383(2), Sch. 16 para. 147; S.I. 2007/1442, art. 2(1)

F9 S. 94 amended (1.7.2004) by Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003 (c. 20), Sch. 5 para. 4; S.I. 2004/1572, art. 3(jjj)

F10 S. 94(2)(e) substituted for s. 94(2)(e)(ea) (1.4.2006) by Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15), s. 178(8), Sch. 4 para. 98(3); S.I. 2006/378, art. 4(1), Sch. para. 10

F11 S. 94(2)(g) inserted (20.6.2003) by Enterprise Act 2002 (c. 40), ss. 200(3), 279; S.I. 2003/1397, art. 2(1), Sch.

F12 S. 94(2)(h) inserted (S.) (1.4.2007) by Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006 (asp 10), s. 104(1), sch. 6 para. 6(3)(a); S.S.I. 2007/84, art. 3(3)

F13 S. 94(3) repealed (1.4.2006) by Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15), s. 178(8), Sch. 4 para. 98(4), Sch. 17 Pt. 2; S.I. 2006/378, art. 4(1), Sch. paras. 10, 13(dd)

F14 S. 94(4)(a) substituted (8.11.2006) by Police and Justice Act 2006 (c. 48), s. 53(2), Sch. 14 para. 34

F15 S. 94(4)(aa) inserted (S.) (1.4.2007) by Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006 (asp 10), s. 104(1), sch. 6 para. 6(3)(b)(ii); S.S.I. 2007/84, art. 3(3)

F16 Words in s. 94(4) repealed (25.9.2000) by 2000 c. 23, s. 82(2), Sch. 5 (with s. 82(3)); S.I. 2000/2543, art. 2

F17 Word in s. 94(4) repealed (30.9.1998) by 1998 c. 37, s. 113(3), s. 120(2), Sch. 10; S.I. 1998/2327, art. 2

F18 S. 94(4)(c) repealed (1.4.2006) by Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15), s. 178(8), Sch. 4 para. 98(4), Sch. 17 Pt. 2; S.I. 2006/378, art. 4(1), Sch. paras. 10, 13(dd)

F19 S. 94(5) inserted (S.) (1.4.2007) by Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006 (asp 10), s. 104(1), sch. 6 para. 6(3)(c); S.S.I. 2007/84, art. 3(3)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 94 applied (prosp.) by 2000 c. 23, ss. 49, 83(2), Sch. 2 para. 2(7) (with s. 82(3))

C2 S. 94 applied (1.10.2007) by Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (c. 23), s. 83(2), Sch. 2 para. 2(7) (with s. 82(3)); S.I. 2007/2196, art. 2(a)

Marginal Citations

M1 1839 c. xciv.