21Access to and possession of seized document or thing

21 Access to and possession of seized document or thing

(1)  [Section 21 Subsection (1) amended by No. 44 of 2007, s. 16, Applied:13 Nov 2007] If an authorised officer, or a police officer or person assisting an authorised officer, has seized or otherwise taken possession of a document or other thing under section 20 or 22  –

(a) the Secretary has possession of the document or thing; and

(b) the Secretary may retain the document or thing for so long as is necessary for the purposes of this Act; and

(c) the authorised officer must provide written notice of the seizure or taking of possession as soon as is reasonably practicable to –

(i) the person from whom it was seized or taken; or

(ii) the person who would be entitled to possession of the document if it were not in the possession of the Secretary; and

(d) on the request of a person who would be entitled to possession of the document if it were not in the possession of the Secretary, the Secretary must provide that person with a copy of the document certified by the Secretary to be a true copy.

(2)  A copy of a document certified by the Secretary to be a true copy is to be received in all courts and elsewhere as if it were the original document.