{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/deep-sea-mining-act-1981/section-3",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/deep-sea-mining-act-1981/section-3.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1981/53",
  "legislation_title": "Deep Sea Mining Act 1981",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/deep-sea-mining-act-1981",
  "path": "section/3",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "3",
  "heading": "Contracts granted by the Authority",
  "text": "(1) Neither the Secretary of State nor the Scottish Ministers may grant an exploration or exploitation licence which relates to—\n(a) any area of the deep sea bed in respect of which a contract granted by the Authority is in force, and\n(b) any description of mineral resources to which the contract relates.\n(2) Subsection (1) does not apply where the contract is a corresponding contract in relation to a licence previously granted by the Secretary of State or the Scottish Ministers.\n(3) For the purposes of any proceedings a contract granted by the Authority may be proved by the production of a copy of the contract certified to be a true copy by an official of the Authority; and any document purporting to be such a copy is to be received in evidence and is to be deemed to be such a contract unless the contrary is proved.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Ss. 3, 3A substituted for s. 3 (14.7.2014) by Deep Sea Mining Act 2014 (c. 15), s. 2(3), Sch. para. 4"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/53/section/3",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:13:49.232596+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."
  }
}