Maritime Archaeology Act 1973

Where a person has in his custody or under his control an object in relation to which a notice was given by the Director, in accordance with the provisions of section 20C of the Museum Act 1959 ², or of section 42 of the Museum Act 1969 ³, that the object in the opinion of the Director was likely to be of national or local historical interest or of scientific, archaeological, educational or other special national or local interest, that person shall, if required by the Trustees, produce the object to them at such reasonable time as is specified by them for inspection and possession by them for the purposes of subsection (2).

Where, after inspecting any object produced pursuant to subsection (1), the Director is of the opinion that it is of national or local historical interest or of scientific, archaeological, educational or other special national or local interest, the Trustees may continue in possession of the object for a period of 30 days or for such longer period as the person producing it and the Trustees may agree upon, for the purpose of photographing, copying, or otherwise obtaining a record of, the object and investigating the extent of any such interest that the object may have.

At the expiration of the period mentioned in subsection (2), the Trustees shall, unless they and the person producing it otherwise agree, return the object to him.