Section 53Part 4 — Powers, Duties and Privileges of Police Officers
General power of seizure, etc.
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53. (1) The powers conferred by subsections (2) and (3) are exercisable by a police officer who is lawfully on any premises.
The police officer may seize anything which is on the premises if the police officer has reasonable grounds for believing —
that it has been obtained in consequence of the commission of an offence; and
that it is necessary to seize it in order to prevent it being concealed, lost, damaged, altered or destroyed.
The police officer may seize anything which is on the premises if the police officer has reasonable grounds for believing —
that it is evidence in relation to an offence whether or not it is being investigated by that police officer; and
that it is necessary to seize it in order to prevent the evidence being concealed, lost or destroyed.
The police officer may require any information which is contained in a computer and is accessible from the premises to be produced in a form in which it can be Section 54 Police Act (2021 Revision) Page 48 Revised as at 31st December, 2020 c taken away and in which it is visible and legible if the police officer has reasonable grounds for believing —
that —
it is evidence in relation to an offence which the police officer is investigating or any other offence; or and
it has been obtained in consequence of the commission of an offence;
that it is necessary to do so in order to prevent it being concealed, lost, tampered with or destroyed.
The powers conferred by this section are in addition to any power otherwise conferred.
No power of seizure conferred on a police officer under any Law, is to be taken to authorise the seizure of an item which the police officer exercising the power has reasonable grounds for believing to be subject to privilege.