{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/police-and-criminal-evidence-act-1984/section-20",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/police-and-criminal-evidence-act-1984/section-20.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1984/60",
  "legislation_title": "Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/police-and-criminal-evidence-act-1984",
  "path": "section/20",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "20",
  "heading": "Extension of powers of seizure to computerised information.",
  "text": "(1) Every power of seizure which is conferred by an enactment to which this section applies on a constable who has entered premises in the exercise of a power conferred by an enactment shall be construed as including a power to require any information stored in any electronic form contained in a computer and accessible from the premises to be produced in a form in which it can be taken away and in which it is visible and legible or from which it can readily be produced in a visible and legible form.\n(2) This section applies—\n(a) to any enactment contained in an Act passed before this Act;\n(b) to sections 8 and 18 above;\n(c) to paragraph 13 of Schedule 1 to this Act; and\n(d) to any enactment contained in an Act passed after this Act.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 20(1) substituted (1.4.2003) by 2001 c. 16, s. 70, Sch. 2 Pt. II para. 13(1)(a)(2)(a); S.I. 2003/708, art. 2(c)(k)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 20(1) inserted (1.4.2003) by 2001 c. 16, s. 70, Sch. 2 Pt. II para. 13(1)(b)(2)(a); S.I. 2003/708, art. 2(c)(k)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 20 modified (1.4.2003) by 2001 c. 16, ss. 63, 138(2); S.I. 2003/708, art. 2(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "S. 20 modified (2.12.2002) by Police Reform Act 2002 (c. 30), s. 38, Sch. 4 Pt. 2 para. 16(g); S.I. 2002/2750, art. 2(a)(ii)(d)S. 20 modified (2.12.2002) by Police Reform Act 2002 (c. 30), s. 38, Sch. 4 Pt. 2 para. 17(d); S.I. 2002/2750, art. 2(a)(ii)(d)S. 20 modified (2.12.2002) by Police Reform Act 2002 (c. 30), s. 38, Sch. 4 Pt. 2 para. 18(d); S.I. 2002/2750, art. 2(a)(ii)(d)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C3",
      "text": "S. 20 applied (with modifications) (1.4.2003) by The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (Investigations in different parts of the United Kingdom) Order 2003 (S.I. 2003/425), art. 5(9)S. 20 applied (with modifications) (1.4.2003) by The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (Investigations in different parts of the United Kingdom) Order 2003 (S.I. 2003/425), art. 6(6)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C4",
      "text": "S. 20 excluded (1.4.2003) by The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (Investigations in different parts of the United Kingdom) Order 2003 (S.I. 2003/425), art. 15(8)S. 20 excluded (1.4.2003) by The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (Investigations in different parts of the United Kingdom) Order 2003 (S.I. 2003/425), art. 25(7)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C5",
      "text": "S. 20 applied (25.7.2003) by The Advanced Television Services Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/1901), reg. 8, Sch. para. 12"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C6",
      "text": "S. 20 applied (with modifications) (25.6.2013) by The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Application to immigration officers and designated customs officials in England and Wales) Order 2013 (S.I. 2013/1542), arts. 1, 3(2)-(4), Sch. 1 (with arts. 4-11)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C7",
      "text": "S. 20 applied (with modifications) (25.6.2013) by The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Application to immigration officers and designated customs officials in England and Wales) Order 2013 (S.I. 2013/1542), arts. 1, 12(2)-(4), Sch. 2 (with arts. 13-31)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C8",
      "text": "S. 20 applied (with modifications) (4.11.2015) by The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Application to Revenue and Customs) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/1783), arts. 1, 3(1), Sch. 1 (with art. 3(2), (3), 4-19, Sch. 2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C9",
      "text": "S. 20 applied (with modifications) (30.4.2017) by The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Application to Labour Abuse Prevention Officers) Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/520), regs. 1, 2, 3(k), Sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C10",
      "text": "S. 20 applied (with modifications) (1.4.2018) by The Welsh Revenue Authority (Powers to Investigate Criminal Offences) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/400), regs. 1(2), 3(1)(3), Sch. (with regs. 4-8)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C11",
      "text": "S. 20 applied (with modifications) (1.5.2025) by The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 (Application to Food Crime Officers) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/300), regs. 1(1), 2-6"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C12",
      "text": "S. 20 applied (with modifications) (1.4.2026) by Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act 2025 (c. 28), ss. 7, 109(1), Sch. 1 (with ss. 72, 105); S.I. 2026/371, reg. 2(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C13",
      "text": "S. 20 applied (with modifications) (7.4.2026) by The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Application to Enforcement Officers) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/303), regs. 1(1), 3, 4(k), Sch. paras. 1-10"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C14",
      "text": "Pt. 2 applied (8.3.2018) by The United Nations (International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals) Order 2018 (S.I. 2018/187), arts. 1(1), 16(1) (with art. 3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C15",
      "text": "Ss. 8, 9, 15, 16, 17(1)(b(2) (4), 18–20, 21, 22(1)–(4), 28, 29, 30(1)–(4)(a)(5)–(11), 31, 32(1)–(9), 34(1)–(5), 35, 36, 37, 39, 40–44, 50, 51(d), 52, 54, 55, 64(1)–(4)(5)(6), Sch. 1 applied with modifications by S.I. 1985/1800, arts. 3–11, Schs. 1, 2"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "applied (with modifications) by 1992 c. 5, s. 109D, Sch. 3ZC (as inserted)",
      "affecting": "ukpga/2025/28",
      "affecting_title": "Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act 2025"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/60/section/20",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:00:58.179601+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."
}