{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/courts-act-2003/section-56",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/courts-act-2003/section-56.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2003/39",
  "legislation_title": "Courts Act 2003",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/courts-act-2003",
  "path": "section/56",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "56",
  "heading": "Regulations about retention of articles",
  "text": "(1) The Lord Chancellor may by regulations make provision as to—\n(a) the provision to persons—\n(i) by whom articles have been surrendered in response to a request under section 54(1) or 54A(4)(a), or\n(ii) from whom articles have been seized under section 54(2) or 54A(4)(b),\nof written information about the powers of retention of court security officers,\n(b) the keeping of records about articles which have been so surrendered or seized,\n(c) the period for which unclaimed articles have to be kept, and\n(d) the disposal of unclaimed articles at the end of that period.\n(2) “Unclaimed article” means an article—\n(a) which has been retained under section 55 or section 55A,\n(b) which a person is entitled to have returned to him,\n(c) which has not been returned, and\n(d) whose return has not been requested by a person entitled to it.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 56(1)(a)(i) inserted (13.4.2015) by Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 (c. 2), ss. 70(4)(a), 95(1); S.I. 2015/778, art. 3, Sch. 1 para. 55"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 56(1)(a)(ii) inserted (13.4.2015) by Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 (c. 2), ss. 70(4)(b), 95(1); S.I. 2015/778, art. 3, Sch. 1 para. 55"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 56(2)(a) inserted (6.4.2010) by Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (c. 25), ss. 146(4), 182(4)(c) (with s. 180, Sch. 22 para. 44); S.I. 2010/816, art. 2, Sch. para. 9"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/39/section/56",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:17:53.122162+00:00",
    "licence": "OGL-UK-3.0",
    "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."
  }
}