Part 6—Search, seizure and powers of arrest

Division 4—Arrest and related matters

133 Power to conduct an ordinary search of an arrested person
A police officer who arrests a person under this Act or pursuant to a warrant issued under this Act, or is present at such an arrest, may, if the police officer suspects on reasonable grounds that the person is carrying:
(a) evidential material relating to the crime to which the person’s custody relates; or
(b) a seizable item;
conduct an ordinary search of the person at or soon after the time of arrest, and seize any such thing found as a result of the search.

134 Power to conduct search of arrested person’s premises
A police officer who arrests a person at premises under this Act or pursuant to a warrant issued under this Act, or is present at such an arrest, may seize things in plain view at those premises that the police officer believes on reasonable grounds to be:
(a) evidential material relating to the crime to which the person’s custody relates; or
(b) seizable items.

135 Power to conduct an ordinary search or strip search
(1) If a person who has been arrested under this Act or pursuant to a warrant issued under this Act is brought to a police station, a police officer may:
(a) if an ordinary search of the person has not been conducted—conduct an ordinary search of the person; or
(b) subject to this section, conduct a strip search of the person.
(2) A strip search may be conducted if:
(a) a police officer suspects on reasonable grounds that:
(i) the person has in his or her possession evidential material relating to the crime to which the person’s custody relates; or
(ii) the person has in his or her possession a seizable item; or
(iii) a visual inspection of the person’s body will provide evidence of the person’s involvement in that crime; and
(b) the police officer suspects on reasonable grounds that it is necessary to conduct a strip search of the person in order to recover that thing or to discover that evidence; and
(c) a police officer of the rank of superintendent or higher has approved the conduct of the search.
(3) Subject to section 136, a strip search may also be conducted if the person consents in writing.
(4) Subject to section 136, a strip search may be conducted in the presence of a medical practitioner, who may assist in the search.
(5) The approval may be obtained by telephone, telex, fax or other electronic means.
(6) A police officer who gives or refuses to give an approval for the purposes of paragraph (2)(c) must make a record of the decision and of the reasons for the decision.
(7) Such force as is necessary and reasonable in the circumstances may be used to conduct a strip search under subsection (2).
(8) Any item of a kind referred to in subparagraph (2)(a)(i) or (ii) that is found during a strip search may be seized.

136 Rules for conduct of strip search
(1) A strip search:
(a) must be conducted in a private area; and
(b) must be conducted by a police officer who is of the same sex as the person being searched; and
(c) subject to subsections (3) and (4), must not be conducted in the presence or view of a person who is of the opposite sex to the person being searched; and
(d) must not be conducted in the presence or view of a person whose presence is not necessary for the purposes of the search; and
(e) must not be conducted on a person who is under 10 years of age; and
(f) if the person being searched is at least 10 but under 18 years of age, or is incapable of managing his or her affairs:
(i) may only be conducted if a court orders that it be conducted; and
(ii) must be conducted in the presence of a parent or guardian of the person being searched or, if that is not acceptable to the person, in the presence of another person (other than a police officer) who is capable of representing the interests of the person and, as far as is practicable in the circumstances, is acceptable to the person; and
(g) must not involve a search of a person’s body cavities; and
(h) must not involve the removal of more garments than the police officer conducting the search believes on reasonable grounds to be necessary to determine whether the person has in his or her possession the item searched for or to establish the person’s involvement in the crime to which the person’s custody relates; and (i) must not involve more visual inspection than the police officer believes on reasonable grounds to be necessary to establish the person’s involvement in the crime to which the person’s custody relates.
(2) In deciding whether to make an order referred to in paragraph (1)(f), the court must have regard to:
(a) the serious nature of the crime to which the person’s custody relates; and
(b) the age or any disability of the person; and
(c) such other matters as the court thinks fit.
(3) A strip search may be conducted in the presence of a medical practitioner of the opposite sex to the person searched if a medical practitioner of the same sex as the person being searched is not available within a reasonable time.
(4) Paragraph (1)(c) does not apply to a parent, guardian or personal
representative of the person being searched if the person being searched has no objection to the person being present.
(5) If any of a person’s garments are seized as a result of a strip search, the person must be provided with adequate clothing.

Part 6—Search, seizure and powers of arrest

Division 5—General

137 Conduct of ordinary searches and frisk searches
(1) An ordinary search or a frisk search of a person under this Part must, if practicable, be conducted by a person of the same sex as the person being searched.
(2) An officer assisting who is not a police officer must not take part in an ordinary search or a frisk search of a person under this Part.

138 Announcement before entry
(1) A police officer must, before any person enters premises under a warrant or to arrest a person:
(a) announce that he or she is authorised to enter the premises; and
(b) give any person at the premises an opportunity to allow entry to the premises.
(2) A police officer is not required to comply with subsection (1) if he or she believes on reasonable grounds that immediate entry to the premises is required to ensure:
(a) the safety of a person (including the police officer); or
(b) that the effective execution of the warrant or the arrest is not frustrated.

139 Offences relating to telephone warrants
A person must not:
(a) state in a document that purports to be a form of warrant under section 116 the name of a magistrate unless that magistrate issued the warrant; or
(b) state on a form of warrant under that section a matter that, to the person’s knowledge, departs in a material particular from the form authorised by the magistrate; or(c) purport to execute, or present to a person, a document that purports to be a form of warrant under that section that:
(i) the person knows has not been approved by a magistrate under that section; or
(ii) the person knows to depart in a material particular from the terms authorised by a magistrate under that section; or
(d) send to a magistrate a form of warrant under that section that is not the form of warrant that the person purported to execute.
Penalty: Imprisonment for 2 years.

140 Retention of things seized
(1) If a police officer seizes a thing under this Part, he or she must deliver it into the custody and control of the Commissioner of Police of the Australian Federal Police.
(2) Subject to subsection (5), the Commissioner must:
(a) inform the Attorney-General that the thing has been so delivered; and
(b) retain the thing pending the Attorney-General’s direction under subsection (3) about how to deal with the thing; and
(c) comply with any such direction that the Attorney-General gives.
(3) The Attorney-General may, by written notice, give the Commissioner a direction about how to deal with the thing.
(4) Without limiting the directions that may be given, a direction may require the Commissioner to send the thing to the ICC.
(5) The Attorney-General must direct the Commissioner to return the thing if:
(a) the reason for its seizure no longer exists; or
(b) it is decided that the thing is not to be used in evidence by the ICC or in respect of criminal proceedings in Australia;
whichever first occurs, unless the thing is forfeited or forfeitable to the Commonwealth or is the subject of a dispute as to ownership.

141 Magistrate may permit a thing to be retained
(1) If a thing is seized under section 140 and:
(a) before the end of 60 days after the seizure; or
(b) before the end of a period previously specified in an order of a magistrate under this section;
proceedings in respect of which the thing may afford evidence have not commenced, the Commissioner of Police of the Australian Federal Police may apply to a magistrate for an order that he or she may retain the thing for a further period.
(2) If the magistrate is satisfied that it is necessary for the Commissioner to continue to retain the thing:
(a) for the purposes of an investigation as to whether an offence has been committed; or
(b) to enable evidence of an offence to be secured for the purposes of a prosecution;
the magistrate may order that the Commissioner may retain the thing for a period specified in the order.
(3) Before making the application, the Commissioner must:
(a) take reasonable steps to discover who has an interest in the retention of the thing; and
(b) if it is practicable to do so, notify each person who the Commissioner believes has such an interest that the application has been made.