Part 1The Serious Organised Crime Agency

Chapter 1SOCA: establishment and activities

Miscellaneous and supplementary

42Interpretation of Chapter 1

(1)

In this Chapter—

“chief officer” means—

(a)

in relation to a police force in England and Wales, the chief officer of police,

(b)

in relation to a police force in Scotland, the chief constable,

(c)

in relation to the Police Service of Northern Ireland or the Police Service of Northern Ireland Reserve, the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland;

(d)

in relation to the States of Jersey Police Force or the salaried police force of the Island of Guernsey, the chief officer of that force;

(e)

in relation to the Isle of Man Constabulary, the chief constable;

(f)

in relation to a special police force mentioned in section 3(5)(a), (b) or (c), the Chief Constable;

(g)

in relation to the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency, the Director of that Agency;

“the Commissioners” has the meaning given by section 2(8);

“constable”, in relation to Northern Ireland, means a member of the Police Service of Northern Ireland or the Police Service of Northern Ireland Reserve;

“financial year”, in relation to SOCA, means—

(a)

the period beginning with the date on which SOCA is established and ending with the following 31st March, and

(b)

each successive period of 12 months ending with 31st March;

“functions” includes powers and duties;

“government department” includes a Northern Ireland department;

“joint police board” has the same meaning as in the Police (Scotland) Act 1967 (c. 77);

“police force” means (unless the context otherwise requires)—

(a)

a police force in England, Wales or Scotland, or

(b)

the Police Service of Northern Ireland or the Police Service of Northern Ireland Reserve;

“special police force” has the meaning given by section 3(5).

(2)

In this Chapter—

(a)

“the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency” means the organisation known by that name and established under section 36(1)(a)(ii) of the Police (Scotland) Act 1967; and

(b)

“the Director” of that Agency means the person engaged on central service (as defined by section 38(5) of that Act) and for the time being appointed by the Scottish Ministers to exercise control in relation to the activities carried out in the exercise of the Agency's functions.

(3)

Section 81(5) of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (c. 23) (meaning of “prevention” and “detection”) applies for the purposes of this Chapter as it applies for the purposes of the provisions of that Act not contained in Chapter 1 of Part 1.