Pensions Act 2004

194Warrants

(1)A justice of the peace may issue a warrant under this section if satisfied on information on oath given by or on behalf of the Board that there are reasonable grounds for believing—

(a)that there is on, or accessible from, any premises any document—

(i)whose production has been required under section 191 or 192, or any corresponding provision in force in Northern Ireland, and

(ii)which has not been produced in compliance with that requirement,

(b)that there is on, or accessible from, any premises any document relevant to the exercise of the Board’s functions in relation to an occupational pension scheme whose production could be so required and, if its production were so required, the document—

(i)would not be produced, but

(ii)would be removed, or made inaccessible, from the premises, hidden, tampered with or destroyed, or

(c)that a person will do any act which constitutes a misuse or misappropriation of the assets of an occupational pension scheme and that there is on, or accessible from, any premises any document—

(i)which relates to whether the act will be done, and

(ii)whose production could be required under section 191 or 192, or any corresponding provision in force in Northern Ireland.

(2)A warrant under this section shall authorise an inspector—

(a)to enter the premises specified in the information, using such force as is reasonably necessary for the purpose,

(b)to search the premises and—

(i)take possession of any document appearing to be such a document as is mentioned in subsection (1), or

(ii)take in relation to such a document any other steps which appear necessary for preserving it or preventing interference with it,

(c)to take copies of any such document,

(d)to require any person named in the warrant to provide an explanation of any such document or to state where it may be found or how access to it may be obtained, and

(e)in the case of any such document which consists of information which is stored in electronic form and is on, or accessible from, the premises, to require the information to be produced in a form—

(i)in which it can be taken away, and

(ii)in which it is legible or from which it can readily be produced in a legible form.

(3)When executing a warrant under this section, an inspector may be accompanied by such persons as he considers appropriate.

(4)A warrant under this section continues in force until the end of the period of one month beginning with the day on which it is issued.

(5)Any document of which possession is taken under this section may be retained until the end of the period comprising—

(a)the period of 12 months beginning with the date on which possession was taken of the document, and

(b)any extension of that period under subsection (6).

(6)The Board may before the end of the period mentioned in subsection (5) (including any extension of it under this subsection) extend it by such period not exceeding 12 months as the Board considers appropriate.

(7)In this section “inspector” means a person appointed by the Board as an inspector.

(8)In the application of this section in Scotland—

(a)the reference to a justice of the peace is to be read as a reference to the sheriff, and

(b)the references in subsections (1) and (2)(a) to information are to be read as references to evidence.