KOPIA Criminal Procedure Practice Test

In England, the police generally need a warrant to search premises, but there is a crucial exception for urgent situations. When delay would hinder the investigation, or there is a real risk to life or to preventing serious harm, and the occupier cannot be contacted, officers can enter and search without a warrant. This balances the need to act quickly to preserve evidence or protect people with the protection of privacy through a lawful framework.

That is why the statement about a warrant not being required in urgent circumstances where the owner cannot be contacted is the best fit. The other ideas misstate the rules: warrants are not always mandatory due to urgency, a search isn’t contingent on the owner’s presence, and there is still a legal procedure in urgent cases to justify and safeguard the action.