Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Act 2011

Powers as to the transmission of postal packets.

47.— (1) A postal service provider may refuse, detain, defer, withhold, return or dispose of any postal packet—

(a) which does not comply with—

(i) its terms and conditions as to the transmission of postal packets, or

(ii) with the provisions of this Part,

or

(b) if the postal service provider knows or reasonably suspects that such postal packet is being sent in contravention of section 55 .

(2) The detention or disposal by a postal service provider of any postal packet on the grounds of a contravention of any terms and conditions applicable to its transmission by post or of section 55 shall not exempt the sender from any proceedings which might have been taken if the postal packet had been delivered.

(3) A postal service provider may open postal packets that are—

(a) undeliverable,

(b) awaiting collection poste restante and not collected,

(c) due for collection and not collected, or

(d) not in compliance with its terms and conditions for the transmission of postal packets,

and the name and the address of the sender cannot be ascertained.

(4) For the purposes of subsection (3)(a), a postal packet is considered to be undeliverable if it cannot be delivered through want of a true direction, or by reason that the addressee is dead, or cannot be found, or has refused the same, or has refused or neglected to pay any charges thereon, or for any other sufficient reason.