Page:Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.pdf/26

20c. 60



(5) A constable may also photograph or copy, or have photographed or copied, anything which he has power to seize, without a request being made under subsection (4) above.

(6) Where anything is photographed or copied under subsection (4)(b) above, the photograph or copy shall be supplied to the person who made the request.

(7) The photograph or copy shall be so supplied within a reasonable time from the making of the request.

(8) There is no duty under this section to grant access to, or to supply a photograph or copy of, anything if the officer in charge of the investigation for the purposes of which it was seized has reasonable grounds for believing that to do so would prejudice—
 * (a) that investigation;
 * (b) the investigation of an offence other than the offence for the purposes of investigating which the thing was seized; or
 * (c) any criminal proceedings which may be brought as a result of-
 * (i) the investigation of which he is in charge; or
 * (ii) any such investigation as is mentioned in paragraph (b) above.

22.—(1) Subject to subsection (4) below, anything which has been seized by a constable or taken away by a constable following a requirement made by virtue of section 19 or 20 above may be retained so long as is necessary in all the circumstances.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1) above—
 * (a) anything seized for the purposes of a criminal investigation may be retained, except as provided by subsection (4) below—
 * (i) for use as evidence at a trial for an offence; or
 * (ii) for forensic examination or for investigation in connection with an offence; and
 * (b) anything may be retained in order to establish its lawful owner, where there are reasonable grounds for believing that it has been obtained in consequence of the commission of an offence.