Police Powers and Responsibilities Act 2000

An authority to conduct a controlled operation may be granted—

by way of a written document, signed by the chief executive officer (a formal authority); or

if the chief executive officer is satisfied that the delay caused by granting a formal authority may affect the success of the operation—orally in person or under section 801 (an urgent authority).

This part does not stop an authority being granted for a controlled operation that has been the subject of a previous authority, but in that case the subsequent authority must be a formal authority.

An authority, whether formal or urgent, must—

state an identifying name or number for the operation; and

state the name and rank or position of the person granting the authority; and

state the name of the principal law enforcement officer for the operation and, if the principal law enforcement officer is not the applicant for the authority, the name of the applicant; and

state whether the application was a formal application or an urgent application; and

identify each person who may engage in controlled conduct for the purposes of the operation; and

state the participating jurisdiction in which the controlled conduct is, or is likely to be, engaged in; and

identify the nature of the criminal activity, including the suspected relevant offences, in relation to which the controlled conduct is to be engaged in; and

identify—

in relation to the law enforcement participants, the nature of the controlled conduct that those participants may engage in; and

in relation to the civilian participants, the particular controlled conduct, if any, that each of the participants may engage in; and

identify, to the extent known, any suspect; and

state the period of validity of the authority, of not more than 6 months for a formal authority or 7 days for an urgent authority; and

state any conditions to which the conduct of the operation is subject; and

state the date and time when the authority is granted; and

identify, to the extent known—

the nature and quantity of any illicit goods that will be involved in the operation; and

the route through which those goods will pass in the course of the operation.

A person is sufficiently identified for subsection (3)(e) if the person is identified—

by an assumed name under which the person is operating; or

by a code name or code number;

The chief executive officer must ensure that written notes are kept of the particulars mentioned in subsection (3) for each urgent authority and issue a written authority to the applicant as soon as practicable.