Police have powers under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and Common Law to seize and retain property that is believed to be evidence of an offence.<\/p>
Once seized, the property may be retained for no longer than is necessary for use as evidence at a trial, for forensic examination or for investigation in connection with an offence or to establish the rightful owner of the property. To ensure the property is admissible as evidence, police need to keep an accurate record of its seizure and retention and safe keeping to establish the chain of evidence.<\/p>
Owners may obtain independent legal advice if they wish to make a claim against police for damage to their property. Free advice can be sought from a Law Centre or Citizens Advice (CA). If a person wishes to claim property seized by the police, they may also apply to a magistrate\u2019s court under the Police (Property) Act 1897 for its possession.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4311", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Williams of Trafford"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-11-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "HL194"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-11-05T17:56:21.707Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-10-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Demonstrations: Seized Articles"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government under what powers the police may confiscate camping equipment, food, solar panels, portable lavatories and litter bins, which are being stored in connection with planned demonstrations; and whether the police are required to keep a record of such items that are seized, and to store them in appropriate conditions.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2569", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Greaves"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Greaves"} ], "uin" : "HL193"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1150618", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1150618/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Police have powers under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and Common Law to seize and retain property that is believed to be evidence of an offence.<\/p>
Once seized, the property may be retained for no longer than is necessary for use as evidence at a trial, for forensic examination or for investigation in connection with an offence or to establish the rightful owner of the property. To ensure the property is admissible as evidence, police need to keep an accurate record of its seizure and retention and safe keeping to establish the chain of evidence.<\/p>
Owners may obtain independent legal advice if they wish to make a claim against police for damage to their property. Free advice can be sought from a Law Centre or Citizens Advice (CA). If a person wishes to claim property seized by the police, they may also apply to a magistrate\u2019s court under the Police (Property) Act 1897 for its possession.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4311", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Williams of Trafford"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-11-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "HL193"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-11-05T17:56:21.757Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-10-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Demonstrations: Seized Articles"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there is any recourse for the owners of items that are damaged when the police remove them from the site of demonstrations; and whether the owners of such items can reclaim them from the police.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2569", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Greaves"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Greaves"} ], "uin" : "HL194"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1150626", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1150626/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
This is a matter for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. My team has passed it on to the FCO to respond to you.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4311", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Williams of Trafford"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-11-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-11-05T17:46:53.68Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-10-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Asylum: Greece"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to evacuate critically ill children from Greece whose access to adequate and timely healthcare services in that country is obstructed by their migrant status.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2018", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Hylton"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Hylton"} ], "uin" : "HL202"} ], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 3, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]} }