Section 54: Powers of authorised officers of Municipal City Council, Municipal Town

54. Powers of authorised officers of Municipal City Council, Municipal Town Council or District Council (1) Subject to subsection (2), every authorised officer of a Municipal City Council, Municipal Town Council or District Council— (a) shall have all the necessary powers to— (i) enter, at all reasonable times, any place where a building is being constructed or repaired, to ascertain whether the required Building and Land Use Permit has been obtained and, if so, whether the conditions of such permit are being respected; (ii) issue all orders required so that the Planning and Development Act, the Town and Country Planning Act and the Building Act Building Control Act are complied with; (b) shall have the powers, privileges, immunities and duties of a police officer in the execution of all summons and orders issued in relation to any offence against an enactment relating to a Municipal City Council, Municipal Town Council or District Council; (c) may seize any article or animal which is the subject matter of an offence under any enactment relating to a Municipal City Council, Municipal Town Council or District Council where— (i) the seizure is necessary for the purpose of establishing the offence; or (ii) the article or animal is liable to seizure or confiscation; (d) may, without warrant, arrest any person for any offence under any enactment relating to a Municipal City Council, Municipal Town Council or District Council where the person— (i) not being known to him, refuses to give his name and address or gives a name and address which he has reason to consider to be false; or (ii) runs away or attempts to run away, rescues any article seized or in any way obstructs, hinders, opposes or molests the inspector; (e) shall wear such uniform, and carry such staff or other insignia of office, as the Municipal City Council, Municipal Town Council or District Council may determine. (2) (a) Any person arrested under subsection (1) (e) shall be taken forthwith to the nearest police station and the officer in charge of the station shall, where he is satisfied in respect to the name, position and place of abode of the person arrested, release him provisionally after recording all the particulars concerning the case in the occurrence book of the station. (b) Where the person arrested is not released, he shall be taken before a Magistrate on the next sitting day. [Issue 5] L18 – 36 Revised Laws of Mauritius (c) Any article or animal seized or confiscated under subsection (1) (c) shall be disposed of— (i) in such manner as the Court may direct; (ii) where no direction has been issued by the Court, in such manner as the Chief Executive may determine. Sub-Part B – Services of Local Authority