Section 131FB: Entry of premises under warrant, Financial Services and Markets Act 2000

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 FCA that there are reasonable grounds for believing that the conditions in subsection (2) are satisfied.

The conditions are—

that a relevant person on whom a requirement has been imposed under section 131E or 131F has failed (wholly or in part) to comply with it; and

that on the premises specified in the warrant—

there are documents which have been required; or

there is information which has been required.

A warrant under this section shall authorise a constable—

to enter the premises specified in the warrant;

to search the premises and take possession of any documents or information appearing to be documents or information of a kind in respect of which a warrant under this section was issued ("the relevant kind") or to take, in relation to any such documents or information, any other steps which may appear to be necessary for preserving them or preventing interference with them;

to take copies of, or extracts from, any documents or information appearing to be of the relevant kind;

to require any person on the premises to provide an explanation of any document or information appearing to be of the relevant kind or to state where it may be found; and

to use such force as may be reasonably necessary.

A warrant under this section may be executed by any constable.

The warrant may authorise persons to accompany any constable who is executing it.

The powers in subsection (3) may be exercised by a person authorised by the warrant to accompany a constable; but that person may exercise those powers only in the company of, and under the supervision of, a constable.

In England and Wales, sections 15(5) to (8) and 16(3) to (12) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (execution of search warrants and safeguards) apply to warrants issued under this section.

In Northern Ireland, Articles 17(5) to (8) and 18(3) to (12) of the Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 apply to warrants issued under this section.

In the application of this section to Scotland—

for the reference to a justice of the peace substitute a reference to a justice of the peace or a sheriff; and

for the references to information on oath substitute references to evidence on oath.

The FCA may give information under subsection (1) or under section 176(1) at the request of an overseas regulator where the regulator makes the request in the exercise of relevant functions.

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In this section—

"overseas regulator" and "relevant functions" have the meanings given in section 131E(6);
"relevant person" means—an authorised person,a person who has been an authorised person,a person who is for the purposes of section 165 connected with an authorised person or with a person within paragraph (b).

Section 131FB: Entry of premises under warrant

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