Action that may or may not be taken in conducting search
2 Action that may or may not be taken in conducting search
In conducting a search of a person or things in the possession of or under the control of a person, a police officer may—
remove, or require the person to remove, the person's outer clothing (for example, a coat or jacket), footwear, gloves or headwear;
and
remove, or require the person to hand over, anything in the person's possession or control that can be conveniently handed over or removed (other than an article of inner clothing or underwear worn by the person);
and
search the person by quickly running the hands over the person's outer or inner clothing or by passing an electronic metal detection device over or in close proximity to the person's outer or inner clothing;
and
search anything handed over or removed under this clause or found in the course of the search.
A police officer may conduct a strip search of a person but only if the officer suspects on reasonable grounds that—
the person is the target of an authorisation; and
it is necessary to conduct the strip search; and
the seriousness and urgency of the circumstances require the strip search to be conducted.
A police officer may search inner clothing and underwear removed for the purposes of a strip search.
A police officer conducting a strip search is not entitled to examine the person's body by touch.
A police officer conducting a search of a person is not entitled to introduce anything into an orifice (including the mouth) of the person's body.
A police officer conducting a search of a person, or things in the possession of or under the control of a person, may require the person to do anything reasonable to facilitate the search, including accompanying the officer to a place for the purposes of conducting a strip search.
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