Is opening somebody else's mail/post illegal/an offence?

Question

I have heard this from a number of people but would be grateful if somebody could point me in the right direction of finding the legislation as back up so that if I am to take action I have more information to begin with.
The Royal Mail have advised that it is an offence for somebody to open my post without my permission but were unable to tell me what the legislation is.

Answer 1

Your post belongs to HM The Queen until it is posted through your letterbox after which it belongs to you. Go to the Royal Mail website to make a complaint. http://www.royalmail.com

Also look at this info from parliament
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200203/cmstand/deleg2/st031104/31104s01.htm

Answer 2

Interference with Mail
The Postal Services Act 2000 Sections 83 and 84 create offences of interfering with mail. Section 83 is aimed at persons engaged in the business of a postal operator and creates an either way offence. Section 84 covers anybody and creates a summary only imprisonable offence. Both sections cover intentional delaying or opening of a postal packet and intentional opening of a mail bag.

Answer 3

Yes.The law on this issue is clear, as it has recently been confirmed in the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act
Quite simply, it is an offence to open, destroy, hide or delay any post that is addressed to someone else. Post cannot be opened if it is to the addressee's detriment and without reasonable excuse. Reasonable excuse is not defined by the Act. This means your explanation for withholding post may not stand up in court
Example of a potential conflict is if a landlord opens a previous tenant's post in order to trace them. Post cannot be opened if someone knows or reasonably suspects the post has been incorrectly delivered. In addition, any post or post bag that is found in a public place must be returned to a post office without being opened.
It is also an offence to divert someone's post in order to intentionally delay them from receiving it. An example of this could be where a person re-posts documents or cheques to delay the addressee from acting upon them.
In addition to this, if you receive someone else's post by mistake, you should contact Royal Mail's customer services department. The mistake can be reported to the appropriate delivery office. The post itself can be delivered by hand to the correct address, re-posted in a post box or handed to a postal worker.
You can find the legislation at the address below.

Answer 4

Yes it is, most likely just a heavy fine. In the US you could face jail for doing that.

Answer 5

It would be interesting to find out as my daughter has a habit of opening my letters at home.

Answer 6

yes this is true....in Australia anyways if u open someone else's mail my dad said u can go to jail but i dont think it would be that bad.....maybe a fine.........but im sure people all over the world so it anyways.....

Answer 7

yes it is under the post office act. also when your letter is posted it becomes property of the post office and as such you can be charged with theft if you attempt to retrieve it

Answer 8

Yes it is. We don't open each others mail in our house mainly because it is good manners and it is "private".

Answer 9

yes it is. it's an invasion of somebody's right to privacy. try to check your country's constitution particularly on the article about bill of rights (right to correspondence)...in our country it's a criminal offense...

Answer 10

It is an offence but how easy is to prove?