By Harry Snook
The subject of entry powers, and particularly of those other than the police and security services, has been of interest to me for nearly 30 years, ever since the decision in the House of Lords in the Rossminster case (R v IRC, ex p Rossminster [1980] AC 952) drew attention to the fact that many public authorities have powers to enter homes and business premises without permission. It prompted me to write a book attempting to catalogue and analyse the law relating to all powers entry (now in its fourth edition as The Law of Entry, Search, and Seizure, OUP, 2005). I am therefore full of admiration for the extensive work that has gone into this paper, identifying the range of powers which exist, and uncovering some which were new to me.
