Search Legislation

Serious Crime Act 2015

 Help about what version

What Version

  • Latest available (Revised)
  • Original (As enacted)
 Help about advanced features

Advanced Features

Changes to legislation:

There are currently no known outstanding effects for the Serious Crime Act 2015, Section 80A. Help about Changes to Legislation

Close

Changes to Legislation

Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. At the current time any known changes or effects made by subsequent legislation have been applied to the text of the legislation you are viewing by the editorial team. Please see ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ for details regarding the timescales for which new effects are identified and recorded on this site.

[F180APrevention or restriction of use of communication devices for drug dealingU.K.

This section has no associated Explanatory Notes

(1)Regulations may make provision conferring power on a court to make a drug dealing telecommunications restriction order.

(2)“Drug dealing telecommunications restriction order” means an order requiring a communications provider to take whatever action the order specifies for the purpose of preventing or restricting the use of communication devices in connection with drug dealing offences.

(3)Without limiting the action that may be specified, it includes—

(a)action that relates to a specified device;

(b)action that relates to a specified phone number or something else that may be used with a device.

(4)In this section “drug dealing offence” means an offence under section 4(3) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 or section 5 of the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016; and a communication device is used in connection with a drug dealing offence if it is used by a person (“the user”) in the course of—

(a)the user committing a drug dealing offence,

(b)the user facilitating the commission by the user or another person of a drug dealing offence, or

(c)conduct of the user that is likely to facilitate the commission by the user or another person of a drug dealing offence (whether or not an offence is committed).

(5)Regulations under this section must provide for drug dealing telecommunications restriction orders to be made only on the application of—

(a)the Director General or Deputy Director General of the National Crime Agency, or

(b)a police officer of the rank of superintendent or above.

(6)Regulations under this section must—

(a)specify the matters about which the court must be satisfied if it is to make an order;

(b)make provision about the duration of orders (which may include provision for orders of indefinite duration);

(c)make provision about the giving (by a communications provider or any other person) of notice of the making of an order;

(d)make provision about variation (including extension) and discharge of orders;

(e)make provision about appeals.

(7)Regulations under this section must provide—

(a)for applications for drug dealing telecommunications restriction orders to be made and heard without notice of the application or hearing having been given to persons affected (or their legal representatives), subject to subsection (9)(a);

(b)for applications to be heard and determined in the absence of persons affected (and their legal representatives), subject to subsection (9)(b);

(c)for applications to be heard and determined in private.

(8)Regulations under this section must provide for a court hearing an application or an appeal to have power to restrict disclosure of information submitted in connection with the application or appeal if satisfied that it is necessary to do so in the public interest.

(9)Regulations under this section may—

(a)make provision for a communications provider affected by an application to be given notice of the application or hearing;

(b)make provision for a communications provider affected by an application to be present or represented at the hearing and determination of the application;

(c)in connection with any provision under paragraph (b), make provision for a communications provider to have a right to make representations;

(d)make provision for a drug dealing telecommunications restriction order to specify that a requirement of the order is not to apply in particular circumstances;

(e)make provision authorising a court to include in an order a requirement for the person applying for the order to pay any or all of the costs of complying with it;

(f)make provision about time limits for complying with orders;

(g)make provision about enforcement of orders (which may include provision creating offences);

(h)make provision about costs (or, in Scotland, expenses) in respect of legal proceedings;

(i)make provision about compensation;

(j)make different provision for different purposes or areas;

(k)make incidental, consequential, supplementary or transitional provision, including provision applying any enactment (with or without modifications).

(10)The power to make regulations under this section is exercisable by statutory instrument made by the Secretary of State.

(11)A statutory instrument containing regulations under this section is not to be made unless a draft of the instrument has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, each House of Parliament.

(12)In this section—

  • “communication device” means an item specified in section 1(3) of the Prisons (Interference with Wireless Telegraphy) Act 2012 (mobile telephones etc);

  • “communications provider” means a person providing a telecommunications service;

  • “court” means—

    (a)

    in relation to England and Wales, the county court;

    (b)

    in relation to Scotland, the sheriff;

    (c)

    in relation to Northern Ireland, a county court;

  • “enactment” includes—

    (a)

    an enactment contained in subordinate legislation within the meaning of the Interpretation Act 1978;

    (b)

    an enactment contained in, or in an instrument made under, an Act of the Scottish Parliament;

    (c)

    Northern Ireland legislation;

  • “telecommunications service” has the meaning given by section 261 of the Investigatory Powers Act 2016.]

Textual Amendments

Back to top

Options/Help

Print Options

You have chosen to open The Whole Act

The Whole Act you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.

Would you like to continue?

You have chosen to open The Whole Act as a PDF

The Whole Act you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download.

Would you like to continue?

You have chosen to open the Whole Act

The Whole Act you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.

Would you like to continue?

Close

Legislation is available in different versions:

Latest Available (revised):The latest available updated version of the legislation incorporating changes made by subsequent legislation and applied by our editorial team. Changes we have not yet applied to the text, can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area.

Original (As Enacted or Made): The original version of the legislation as it stood when it was enacted or made. No changes have been applied to the text.

Close

See additional information alongside the content

Geographical Extent: Indicates the geographical area that this provision applies to. For further information see ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

Show Timeline of Changes: See how this legislation has or could change over time. Turning this feature on will show extra navigation options to go to these specific points in time. Return to the latest available version by using the controls above in the What Version box.

Close

Opening Options

Different options to open legislation in order to view more content on screen at once

Close

Explanatory Notes

Text created by the government department responsible for the subject matter of the Act to explain what the Act sets out to achieve and to make the Act accessible to readers who are not legally qualified. Explanatory Notes were introduced in 1999 and accompany all Public Acts except Appropriation, Consolidated Fund, Finance and Consolidation Acts.

Close

More Resources

Access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item from this tab. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:

  • the original print PDF of the as enacted version that was used for the print copy
  • lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
  • confers power and blanket amendment details
  • all formats of all associated documents
  • correction slips
  • links to related legislation and further information resources
Close

Timeline of Changes

This timeline shows the different points in time where a change occurred. The dates will coincide with the earliest date on which the change (e.g an insertion, a repeal or a substitution) that was applied came into force. The first date in the timeline will usually be the earliest date when the provision came into force. In some cases the first date is 01/02/1991 (or for Northern Ireland legislation 01/01/2006). This date is our basedate. No versions before this date are available. For further information see the Editorial Practice Guide and Glossary under Help.

Close

More Resources

Use this menu to access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:

  • the original print PDF of the as enacted version that was used for the print copy
  • correction slips

Click 'View More' or select 'More Resources' tab for additional information including:

  • lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
  • confers power and blanket amendment details
  • all formats of all associated documents
  • links to related legislation and further information resources