POLICE POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES ACT 2000 - SECT 599 Coroner’s search warrant

POLICE POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES ACT 2000 - SECT 599

599 Coroner’s search warrant

(1) A coroner may, on his or her own initiative, issue a search warrant for a place if the coroner reasonably suspects that there is evidence at the place that may be relevant to the coroner’s investigation.

(2) The search warrant must state—

(a) that a police officer may exercise the powers mentioned in subsection (4) at the place; and

(b) brief particulars that identify the death that the coroner is investigating; and

(c) the evidence that may be seized under the warrant; and

(d) if the warrant is to be executed at night, the hours when the place may be entered; and

(e) the day and time the search warrant ends, being no more than 7 days after the search warrant is issued.

(3) The ways that a coroner may send the search warrant to a police officer include by fax or electronic communication.

(4) Under the search warrant, a police officer has—

(a) the powers described in section 157 (1) (a) to (e) and (g) ; and

(b) power to seize a thing found at the place, or on a person found at the place, that the police officer reasonably suspects may be relevant to the coroner’s investigation; and

Example of paragraph (b)—

a suicide note

(c) power to inspect, measure, photograph or film the place or anything at the place; and

(d) power to take a thing, or a sample of a thing, from the place for testing; and

(e) power to copy a document at the place; and

(f) power to require a person at the place to give the police officer reasonable help to exercise the powers mentioned in paragraphs (a) to (e) .

(5) A police officer must comply with section 158 when executing the search warrant.

(6) A police officer must not exercise a power under subsection (4) (c) to (f) unless the police officer reasonably suspects that the exercise of the power is necessary for the coroner’s investigation.