Courts Act 2003

Criminal Law Act 1977 (c. 45)

189 (1) Amend section 10 (obstruction of court officers executing process for possession against unauthorised occupiers) as follows.

(2) Before subsection (1) insert—

“(A1) A person is guilty of an offence if he resists or intentionally obstructs any person who—

(a) is an enforcement officer, or is acting under the authority of an enforcement officer; and

(b) is engaged in executing a writ issued from the High Court.”

(3) In subsection (3), for “an officer of a court” substitute “an enforcement officer, a person acting under the authority of an enforcement officer or an officer of a court (as the case may be)”.

(4) In subsection (5), after “uniform” insert “, an enforcement officer”.

(5) For subsection (6), substitute—

“(6) In this section—

• “enforcement officer” means an individual who is authorised to act as an enforcement officer under the Courts Act 2003;

• “officer of a court” means—

  (a)

  any sheriff, under sheriff, deputy sheriff, bailiff or officer of a sheriff; and

  (b)

  any bailiff or other person who is an officer of a county court within the meaning of the County Courts Act 1984.”

(6) In the section heading, for “court officers executing process for possession against unauthorised occupiers” substitute “enforcement officers and court officers executing High Court or county court process”.