Rule 47.26 Application for warrant: general rulesI1

England and Wales

(1)

This rule applies to each application to which this Section applies.

(2)

The applicant must—

(a)

apply in writing;

(b)

serve the application on—

(i)

the court officer, or

(ii)

if the court office is closed, the court;

(c)

demonstrate that the applicant is entitled to apply, for example as a constable or under legislation that applies to other officers;

(d)

give the court an estimate of how long the court should allow—

(i)

to read and prepare for the application, and

(ii)

for the hearing of the application; and

(e)

tell the court when the applicant expects any warrant issued to be executed.

(3)

The application must disclose anything known or reported to the applicant that might reasonably be considered capable of undermining any of the grounds of the application.

(4)

Where the application includes information that the applicant thinks should be kept confidential, the applicant may—

(a)

set out that information in a separate document, marked accordingly; and

(b)

in that document, explain why the applicant thinks that that information ought not to be supplied to anyone other than the court.

(5)

The application must include—

(a)

a declaration by the applicant that to the best of the applicant’s knowledge and belief—

(i)

the application discloses all the information that is material to what the court must decide, including anything that might reasonably be considered capable of undermining any of the grounds of the application, and

(ii)

the content of the application is true; and

(b)

a declaration by an officer senior to the applicant that the senior officer has reviewed and authorised the application.

(6)

The application must attach a draft warrant or warrants in the terms proposed by the applicant.

Annotations

Commencement

I1: Rule 47.26 in force at 6.10.2025, see Preamble

Notes on Part 47

Textual amendments

F1: Words in Pt. 47 Table of Contents omitted (6.4.2026) by virtue of The Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2026 (S.I. 2026/47), rules 3, 10(c)(i)