Police (Northern Ireland) Act 1998

Offences N.I.

66 Assaults on, and obstruction of, constables, etc. N.I.

(1) Any person who assaults, resists, obstructs or impedes a constable in the execution of his duty, or a person assisting a constable in the execution of his duty, shall be guilty of an offence.

[F1 (1A) Any person who assaults, resists, obstructs or impedes a designated person in the execution of his duty, or a person assisting a designated person in the execution of his duty, shall be guilty of an offence.]

(2) A person guilty of an offence under subsection (1)[F2 or (1A)] shall be liable—

(a) on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or to both;

(b) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to a fine, or to both.

F3 (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[F4 (3A) In subsection (1A) the references to the execution of the duty of a designated person are to—

(a) the exercise of a power conferred on him by his designation;

(b) the performance of a duty imposed on him by his designation.

(3B) In this section “ designated person ” means a person designated under section 30[F5 , 30A] or 31 of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2003. ]

(4) This section also applies to a constable who is a member of a police force in Great Britain when he is executing a warrant, or otherwise acting in Northern Ireland, by virtue of any statutory provision conferring powers on him in Northern Ireland.

[F6 (5) In this section references to a person assisting a constable in the execution of his duty include references to any person who is neither a constable nor in the company of a constable but who—

(a) is a member of an international joint investigation team that is led by a member of the Police Service of Northern Ireland; and

(b) is carrying out his functions as a member of that team.

(6) In this section “ international joint investigation team ” means any investigation team formed in accordance with—

(a) any framework decision on joint investigation teams adopted under Article 34 of the Treaty on European Union;

(b) the Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters between the Member States of the European Union, and the Protocol to that Convention, established in accordance with that Article of that Treaty; or

(c) any international agreement to which the United Kingdom is a party and which is specified for the purposes of this section in an order made by the [F7 Department of Justice].

F8 (7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .]

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 66(1A) inserted (8.4.2003) by Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2003 (c. 6), s. 38(2)

F2 Words in s. 66(2) inserted (8.4.2003) by Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2003 (c. 6), s. 38(3)

F3 S. 66(3) repealed (1.3.2007) by The Police and Criminal Evidence (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/288 (N.I. 2)), art. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 33, Sch. 2

F4 S. 66(3A)(3B) inserted (8.4.2003) by Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2003 (c. 6), s. 38(5)

F5 Word in s. 66(3B) inserted (22.4.2007) by The Policing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/912 (N.I. 6)), arts. 1(3), 7(10)

F6 S. 66(5)-(7) inserted (1.10.2002) by 2002 c. 30, s. 104(3); S.I. 2002/2306, art. 2(f)(xiii)

F7 Words in s. 66(6)(c) substituted (12.4.2010) by The Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Devolution of Policing and Justice Functions) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/976), art. 1(2), Sch. 3 para. 37(a) (with arts. 28-31)

F8 S. 66(7) omitted (12.4.2010) by virtue of The Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Devolution of Policing and Justice Functions) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/976), art. 1(2), Sch. 3 para. 37(b) (with arts. 28-31)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 66 modified (26.4.2004) by Crime (International Co-operation) Act 2003 (c. 32), ss. 84(3), 94(1); S.I. 2004/786, art. 3(1)(2)

67 Impersonation, etc. N.I.

(1) Any person who with intent to deceive impersonates a member of the police force, or makes any statement or does any act calculated falsely to suggest that he is such a member, shall be guilty of an offence.

[F9 (1A) Any person who, with intent to deceive—

(a) impersonates a designated person; or

(b) makes any statement or does any act calculated falsely to suggest that he is a designated person; or

(c) makes any statement or does any act calculated falsely to suggest that he has powers as a designated person that exceed the powers he actually has,

shall be guilty of an offence.]

(2) Any person who, not being a constable, wears any article of police uniform in circumstances where it gives him an appearance so nearly resembling that of a member of the police force as to be calculated to deceive shall be guilty of an offence.

(3) A person guilty of an offence under subsection (1)[F10 , (1A)] or (2) shall be liable—

(a) on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or to both;

(b) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to a fine, or to both.

(4) Any person who, not being a member of the police force, has in his possession any article of police uniform shall, unless he proves that he obtained possession of that article lawfully and has possession of it for a lawful purpose, be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.

(5) In this section “article of police uniform” means any article of uniform or any distinctive badge or mark or document of identification usually issued to members of the police force or anything having the appearance of such an article, badge, mark or document.

[F11 (6) In this section “ designated person ” means a person designated under section 30[F12 , 30A] or 31 of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2003. ]

Textual Amendments

F9 S. 67(1A) inserted (8.4.2003) by Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2003 (c. 6), s. 39(2)

F10 Word in s. 67(3) inserted (8.4.2003) by Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2003 (c. 6), s. 39(3)

F11 S. 67(6) inserted (8.4.2003) by Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2003 (c. 6), s. 39(4)

F12 Word in s. 67(6) inserted (22.4.2007) by The Policing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/912), arts. 1(3), 7(10)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C2 S. 67 applied (30.3.2001) by 2000 c. 32, s. 41(1)(a)(iv); S.R. 2001/132, art. 2, Sch.

68 Causing disaffection. N.I.

(1) Any person who—

(a) causes, or does any act calculated to cause, disaffection among the members of the police force; or

(b) induces, or does any act calculated to induce, any member of the police force to withhold his services,

shall be guilty of an offence.

(2) A person guilty of an offence under subsection (1) shall be liable—

(a) on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or to both;

(b) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to a fine, or to both.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C3 S. 68 applied (30.3.2001) by 2000 c. 32, s. 41(1)(a)(v); S.R. 2001/132, art. 2, Sch.

69 Obtaining pension by self-inflicted injury, etc. N.I.

Any person who obtains for himself or any other person any pension or gratuity under regulations made under section 25 or 26 by maiming or injuring himself, or causing himself to be maimed or injured, or otherwise producing injury or infirmity shall be guilty of an offence and liable—

(a) on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or to both;

(b) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to a fine, or to both.