Customs Act 2015

Continuity and construction of certain references to old and new law

5. (1) The Commissioners shall have all the jurisdictions, powers and duties in relation to customs under this Act which they had before the passing of this Act.

(2) The continuity of the operation of the law relating to customs shall not be affected by the substitution of this Act for the repealed enactments.

(3) Any reference, whether expressed or implied, in any enactment or document (including this Act and any Act amended by this Act)—

(a) to any provision of this Act, or

(b) to things done or to be done under or for the purposes of any provision of this Act,

shall, if and in so far as the nature of the reference permits, be construed as including, in relation to the times, circumstances or purposes in relation to which the corresponding provision in the repealed enactments applied or had applied, a reference to, or, as the case may be, to things done or to be done under or for the purposes of, that corresponding provision.

(4) Any reference, whether expressed or implied, in any enactment or document (including the repealed enactments and enactments passed and documents made after the passing of this Act)—

(a) to any provision of the repealed enactments, or

(b) to things done or to be done under or for the purposes of any provision of the repealed enactments,

shall, if and in so far as the nature of the reference permits, be construed as including, in relation to the times, circumstances or purposes in relation to which the corresponding provision of this Act applies, a reference to, or as the case may be, to things done or deemed to be done or to be done under or for the purposes of, that corresponding provision.

(5) All instruments, documents, authorisations, appointments, approvals and directions made or issued under the repealed enactments and in force immediately before the commencement of this provision shall continue in force as if made or issued under this Act.

(6) An officer of the Commissioners who stands appointed or authorised by them to be an officer of Customs and Excise shall, from the date of passing of this Act, be deemed to be authorised to be an officer of customs.

(7) Save as is otherwise expressly provided for, every mention or reference contained in any enactment of or to an officer of Customs and Excise shall, for the purposes of the Customs Acts or any other enactment, from the date of passing of this Act, be construed and take effect as a mention of or a reference to an officer of customs.

(8) All officers of the Commissioners who, immediately before the commencement of this provision, stood authorised, nominated or designated for the purposes of any provision of the repealed enactments, are deemed to be authorised, nominated or designated, as the case may be, for the corresponding provision of this Act.

(9) Any provision of the repealed enactments which imposes a fine, forfeiture, penalty or punishment for any act or omission shall, in relation to any act or omission which took place or began before the repeal of that provision by this Act, continue to apply in substitution for the provision of this Act to which it corresponds.

(10) This section is without prejudice to the generality of the Interpretation Act 2005 and, in particular, section 27 of it.