Search and Surveillance Act Flashcards
Entry without warrant to find and avoid loss of evidence - Section 15
A constable may enter and search a place without a warrant if he or she has reasonable grounds—
(a) to suspect that an offence punishable by imprisonment for a term of 14 years or more has been committed, or is being committed, or is about to be committed; and
(b) to believe—
(i) that evidential material relating to the offence is in that place; and
(ii) that, if entry is delayed in order to obtain a search warrant, the evidential material will be destroyed, concealed, altered, or damaged.
Searching people in public place - Section 16
A constable may search a person without a warrant in a public place if the constable has reasonable grounds to believe that the person is in possession of evidential material relating to an offence punishable by imprisonment for a term of 14 years or more.
Warrantless entry and search of vehicle for evidential material - Section 17
A constable may, without a warrant, enter and search a vehicle that is in a public place if he or she has reasonable grounds to believe that evidential material relating to an offence punishable by imprisonment for a term of 14 years or more is in or on the vehicle.
Trespass surveillance and use of interception device - Section 45
You can undertake trespass surveillance and the use of an interception device when - Obtaining evidential material in relation to an offence:
- Punishable by 7 years or more; or
- Specified Arms Act offences
- specified offences against Psychoactive Substances Act
Activities that require a surveillance device warrant - Section 46
(1)
Except as provided in sections 47 and 48, an enforcement officer who wishes to undertake any 1 or more of the following activities must obtain a surveillance device warrant:
(a) use of an interception device to intercept a private communication:
(b) use of a tracking device, except where a tracking device is installed solely for the purpose of ascertaining whether a thing has been opened, tampered with, or in some other way dealt with, and the installation of the device does not involve trespass to land or trespass to goods:
(c) observation of private activity in private premises, and any recording of that observation, by means of a visual surveillance device:
(d) use of a surveillance device that involves trespass to land or trespass to goods:
(e) observation of private activity in the curtilage of private premises, and any recording of that observation, if any part of the observation or recording is by means of a visual surveillance device, and the duration of the observation, for the purposes of a single investigation, or a connected series of investigations, exceeds—
(i) 3 hours in any 24-hour period; or
(ii) 8 hours in total.
Powers when warrant pending - Section 117
(1) If an application for a search warrant is about to be made or has been made and has not yet been granted or refused by an issuing officer, an enforcement officer present at the place or vehicle that is or is to be the subject of the application may, if authorised by subsection (2),—
(a) enter and secure the place, vehicle, or other thing in respect of which authorisation to enter and search is being sought, and secure any item or items found at that place or in or on that vehicle or other thing, at any time that is reasonable in the circumstances:
(b) direct any person to assist with the entry and securing of the place or vehicle or other thing or the securing of items in it (including, without limitation, a member of a hapū or an iwi if the place to be entered is of cultural or spiritual significance to that hapū or iwi).
(2) The powers conferred by subsection (1) may be exercised if the enforcement officer has reasonable grounds to believe that evidential material may be destroyed, concealed, altered, damaged, or removed before a decision is taken to grant or refuse the issue of a search warrant.
(3) The powers conferred by subsection (1) may be exercised until the first of the following occurs:
(a) the expiry of 6 hours from when the power is first exercised:
(b) the warrant is available for execution at that place or vehicle or in respect of that other thing:
(c) the application for a search warrant is refused.
(4) A person who exercises any power under subsection (1) must, on the request of any person affected by the exercise of the power,—
(a) identify himself or herself either by name or by unique identifier; and
(b) state the name of the enactment under which the search is taking place and the reason for the search under that enactment unless it is impracticable to do so in the circumstances; and
(c) if not in Police uniform, produce evidence of his or her identity.
Items in plain view - Section 123
(1) This section applies to an enforcement officer who, as part of his or her duties,—
(a) exercises a search power; or
(b) is lawfully in any place or in or on a vehicle; or
(c) is conducting a lawful search of a person.
(2) An enforcement officer to whom this section applies may seize any item or items that he or she, or any person assisting him or her, finds in the course of carrying out the search or as a result of observations at the place or in or on the vehicle, if the enforcement officer has reasonable grounds to believe that he or she could have seized the item or items under—
(a) any search warrant that could have been obtained by him or her under this Act or any other enactment; or
(b) any other search power exercisable by him or her under this Act or any other enactment.
(3) If an enforcement officer seizes any item or items under subsection (2), in circumstances where he or she is not already exercising a search power, the enforcement officer may exercise any applicable power conferred by section 110 in relation to the seizure of the item or items.
Define a Visual Surveillance Device
a) means any electronic, mechanical, electromagnetic, optical, or electro-optical instrument, apparatus, equipment, or other device that is used or is capable of being used to observe, or to observe and record, a private activity; but
(b) does not include spectacles, contact lenses, or a similar device used to correct subnormal vision of the user to no better than normal vision
Define Curtilage
Is a legal term used to define land immediately surrounding a house or dwelling, including any closely associated buildings and structures, but excluding any associated ‘ópen fields beyond’. It defines the boundary within which a home owner can have a reasonable expectation of privacy and where common home activities take place.
