Customs Act

Marginal note:Definition of “dwelling-house”

• 42 (1) In this section, dwelling-house means the whole or any part of a building or structure that is kept or occupied as a permanent or temporary residence, and includes

  • (a) a building within the curtilage of a dwelling-house that is connected to it by a doorway or by a covered and enclosed passageway; and

  • (b) a unit that is designed to be mobile and to be used as a permanent or temporary residence and that is being used as such a residence.

• Marginal note:Inspections

  (2) An officer, or an officer within a class of officers, designated by the Minister for the purposes of this section, may at all reasonable times, for any purpose related to the administration or enforcement of this Act,

  • (a) inspect, audit or examine any record of a person that relates or may relate to the information that is or should be in the records of the person or to any amount paid or payable under this Act;

  • (b) examine property in an inventory of a person and any property or process of, or matter relating to, the person, an examination of which may assist the officer in determining the accuracy of the inventory of the person or in ascertaining the information that is or should be in the records of the person or any amount paid or payable by the person under this Act;

  • (c) subject to subsection (3), enter any premises or place where any business is carried on, any property is kept, anything is done in connection with any business or any records are or should be kept; and

  • (d) require the owner or manager of the property or business and any other person on the premises or place to give the officer all reasonable assistance and to answer truthfully any question, and, for that purpose, require the owner, manager or other person designated by the owner or manager to attend at the premises or place with the officer.

• Marginal note:Prior authorization

  (3) If any premises or place referred to in paragraph (2)(c) is a dwelling-house, an officer may not enter that dwelling-house without the consent of the occupant except under the authority of a warrant under subsection (4).

• Marginal note:Warrant

  (4) On ex parte application by the Minister, a judge may issue a warrant authorizing an officer to enter a dwelling-house subject to the conditions that may be specified in the warrant, if the judge is satisfied by information on oath that

  • (a) there are reasonable grounds to believe that the dwelling-house is a premises or place referred to in paragraph (2)(c);

  • (b) entry into the dwelling-house is necessary; and

  • (c) entry into the dwelling-house has been, or there are reasonable grounds to believe that entry into the dwelling-house will be, refused.

• Marginal note:Other access to document

  (5) If the judge is not satisfied that entry into that dwelling-house is necessary for any purpose relating to the administration or enforcement of this Act but is satisfied that access to a document or property that is or should be kept in the dwelling-house has been or may be expected to be refused, the judge may

  • (a) order the occupant of the dwelling-house to provide the officer with reasonable access to any document or property; and

  • (b) make any other order that is appropriate in the circumstances to carry out the purposes of this Act.