{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/child-care-act-1980-repealed-14101991/section-15",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/child-care-act-1980-repealed-14101991/section-15.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1980/5",
  "legislation_title": "Child Care Act 1980 (repealed 14.10.1991)",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/child-care-act-1980-repealed-14101991",
  "path": "section/15",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "15",
  "heading": "Recovery of children in care under s. 2.",
  "text": "(1) This section applies to a child—\n(a) who is in the care of a local authority under section 2 of this Act; and\n(b) with respect to whom there is in force a resolution under section 3 of this Act; and\n(c) who—\n(i) has run away from accommodation provided for him by the local authority under Part III of this Act; or\n(ii) has been taken away from such accommodation contrary to section 13(1) of this Act; or\n(iii) has not been returned to the local authority as required by a notice served under section 14 of this Act on a person under whose charge and control the child was, in accordance with section 21(2) of this Act, allowed to be.\n(2) If a justice of the peace is satisfied by information on oath that there are reasonable grounds for believing that a person specified in the information can produce a child to whom this section applies, he may issue a summons directed to the person so specified and requiring him to attend and produce the child before a magistrates’ court acting for the same petty sessions area as the justice.\n(3) Without prejudice to the powers under subsection (2) above, if a justice of the peace is satisfied by information on oath that there are reasonable grounds for believing that a child to whom this section applies is in premises specified in the information, he may issue a search warrant authorising a person named in the warrant, being an officer of the local authority in whose care the child is, to search the premises for the child; and if the child is found, he shall be placed in such accommodation as the local authority may provide for him under Part III of this Act.\n(4) A person who, without reasonable excuse, fails to comply with a summons under subsection (2) above shall, without prejudice to any liability apart from this subsection, be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £100.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1980/5/section/15",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:16:53.335208+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}