(1) Any article seized either before or after the commencement of the
Disorderly Houses (Amendment) Act 1943 in any disorderly house by a member of
the Police Force in pursuance of powers conferred on the member by section 10
shall be forfeited to the Crown.
(2) Any person claiming to be the owner of
any article seized by a member of the Police Force so authorised by a search
warrant under section 13 may--
(a) if such seizure was made before the
commencement of the Disorderly Houses (Amendment) Act 1943 , within twenty-one
days after such commencement, or
(b) if such seizure was made after such
commencement, within twenty-one days of such seizure,
make application to a
Magistrate for the return to the person of such article.
Such Magistrate shall inquire into the matter and if it appears to the
Magistrate that at the time of the seizure any of the conditions mentioned in
section 3 obtained on the premises where the seizure was made, the Magistrate
shall order the forfeiture of such article, to the Crown.
If it appears to such Magistrate that at the time of the seizure any of the
conditions mentioned in section 3 did not obtain on such premises, the
Magistrate may order that the article so seized be handed over to the owner or
occupier of such premises or to such other person as may appear to the
Magistrate to be the rightful owner.
(3) Any person who makes application to
a Magistrate under subsection (2) shall, at least seven days prior to the
hearing of such application, serve on a Superintendent or Inspector of Police
a notice in writing of such application.
(4) Where, in respect of any article
seized by a member of the Police Force so authorised by a search warrant under
section 13, no application is made under subsection (2) within the time
prescribed by that subsection such article shall be forfeited to the Crown.
(5) In this section--
"article" means any liquor, drug, drinking glass, vessel, container or device
or any weapon or explosive.
