# The Criminal Procedure Rules 2025, Rule 47.24: When this Section applies

Extent: E+W

This Section applies where—
(a) a justice of the peace can issue a warrant under—
(i) section 8 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984,
(ii) section 2 of the Criminal Justice Act 1987,
(iii) paragraph 1 of Schedule 5 to the Terrorism Act 2000, or
(iv) paragraph 2 of Schedule 2 to the National Security Act 2023;
(b) a Circuit judge can issue a warrant under—
(i) paragraph 12 of Schedule 1 to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984,
(ii) paragraph 11 of Schedule 5 to the Terrorism Act 2000, or
(iii) section 160 of the Extradition Act 2003;
(c) a Crown Court judge can issue a warrant under—
(i) section 352 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, or
(ii) article 13 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (External Investigations) Order 2014;
(d) a Crown Court judge can issue a warrant under—
(i) paragraph 9 of Schedule 2 to the National Security Act 2023, or
(ii) paragraph 13 of that Schedule; and
(e) a court to which these Rules apply can issue a warrant to search for and seize articles or persons under a power not listed in paragraphs (a) to (d).
[Note. In outline, the warrants to which these rules apply are—
(a) under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, a warrant authorising entry to, and the search of, premises for material, articles or persons;
(b) under the Criminal Justice Act 1987, a warrant authorising entry to, and the search of, premises for documents sought by the Director of the Serious Fraud Office;
(c) under the Terrorism Act 2000, a warrant authorising entry to, and the search of, premises for material sought for the purposes of a terrorist investigation;
(d) under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 or under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (External Investigations) Order 2014, a warrant authorising entry to, and the search of, premises for material sought for the purposes of a confiscation investigation, a money laundering investigation, a detained cash investigation or an external investigation;
(e) under the Extradition Act 2003, a warrant authorising entry to, and the search of, premises for material sought in connection with the prosecution of a person whose extradition has been requested;
(f) under the National Security Act 2023—
(i) a warrant authorising entry to, and the search of, premises for material sought for the purposes of an investigation to which Schedule 2 to that Act applies,
(ii) a warrant authorising the retention of confidential journalistic material seized under the authority of a senior police officer;
(g) under these and other Acts, comparable warrants.
For all the relevant terms under which such warrants can be issued, see the provisions listed in this rule.
Under section 8 of the Senior Courts Act 1981, a High Court judge, a Circuit judge, a Recorder, a qualifying judge advocate and a District Judge (Magistrates’ Courts) each may act as a Crown Court judge.
When the relevant provisions of the Courts Act 2003 come into force, a District Judge (Magistrates’ Courts) will have the same powers as a Circuit judge under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and under the Terrorism Act 2000.
Under section 66 of the Courts Act 2003, in criminal cases a High Court judge, a Circuit judge, a Recorder and a qualifying judge advocate each has the powers of a justice of the peace who is a District Judge (Magistrates’ Courts).
As well as governing procedure on an application to a magistrates’ court or the Crown Court, under the following provisions rules may govern the procedure on an application to an individual judge—
(a) paragraph 15A of Schedule 1 to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984;
(b) paragraph 11 of Schedule 5 to the Terrorism Act 2000;
(c) section 352 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002;
(d) section 160 of the Extradition Act 2003; and
(e) paragraph 16 of Schedule 2 to the National Security Act 2023.
For a list of the types of investigation under Part 8 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and a list of the powers of judges in respect of each type, see the note to rule 47.4 (Section 2: Investigation orders; When this Section applies).]

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/909/rule/47.24 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/criminal-procedure-rules-2025/rule-47.24
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.