Public Records Act 2005

29 Inspection powers

• (1) The Chief Archivist may, after giving reasonable notice to a public office or local authority, inspect the public records or local authority records and local authority archives, as the case may be, that are in the possession or under the control of that public office or local authority.

  (2) Subsection (1)—

  • (a) permits the Chief Archivist to view the system of a public office or local authority for maintaining its public records or local authority records and local authority archives, as the case may be, and the conditions for their storage; but

  • (b) does not permit the Chief Archivist to inspect public records or local authority records and local authority archives that carry security classifications or are restricted by other legislation without the consent of the administrative head of the controlling public office or controlling local authority, as the case may be.

  (3) In this section, security classifications means the classifications assigned in accordance with the Security in Government Sector manual issued from time to time by the Government.