s 5 Meaning of “private investigator”
5.—(1) Subject to subsection (2), “private investigator” means any individual who, for reward, carries out any of the following functions:(a) obtaining and giving information about any person; (b) searching for missing persons; (c) obtaining and giving information as to the cause and origin of or responsibility for any fire, libel, loss or accident or any damage to real or personal property; (d) obtaining and giving information as to the location or recovery of lost or stolen property; or (e) obtaining evidence to be used in any civil or criminal proceedings. (2) For the purposes of this Act, a private investigator does not include —(a) a person employed by an employer to obtain and give information about another person who is employed by the employer, or whom the employer intends to employ; (b) a person employed by a business entity to obtain and give information about the character or nature of business of another business entity for the purpose of any business venture undertaken or to be undertaken by the employer or exclusively for the purposes of market research; and (c) a person who carries out any function mentioned in paragraphs (a) to (e) of subsection (1) —(i) as part of the person’s profession or business as an advocate and solicitor or as part of the person’s occupation as an employee of an advocate and solicitor; (ii) as part of the person’s profession or business as a public accountant or as part of the person’s occupation as an employee of a public accountant; (iii) as part of the person’s business of obtaining or giving information as to the financial rating or standing of another person; or (iv) as part of the person’s business of insurance or as an insurance adjustment agency, or as part of the person’s occupation as an employee of the person carrying on the business of insurance or the insurance adjustment agency. (3) In this section, “market research” includes —(a) discovering whether a person is a potential customer for any goods or services or the extent of the person’s satisfaction with goods or services supplied to the person; and (b) obtaining information from any person for the purpose of analysing public opinion on any matter (whether or not relating to the market for any goods or services).