Section 17Part 5 — Archival Records and Library Collections
Recovery of public records in private hands
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Where the National Archivist believes that a person has, otherwise than in an official capacity (and whether or not ownership of the public record has passed to that person), custody or possession of any public record of a public agency that is or may be of archival value, the National Archivist may, by notice in writing, require the person to deliver the public record into the custody of the National Archive within a period specified in the notice.
If a person fails to comply with a notice given under subsection (1), a summary court may, on the application of the National Archivist, order the person to deliver the public record into the custody of the National Archive on or before a day specified in the order; and the summary court may make a further order requiring the Deputy Governor to make to the person such payment as the summary court considers reasonable, in compensation for deprivation of the public record.
Nothing in this section limits or restricts a right of any other authority or person to recover any public record or other property of the Government, whether of archival value or not.