Section 24 - Obstruction etc. of officers
50.This section provides that any person who intentionally obstructs an authorised officer from carrying out their functions under this Chapter is committing an offence. Any person who fails without reasonable cause to provide the officer with facilities that are reasonably required by the officer to carry out their functions is committing an offence. However, a person is not required to answer any questions or produce any document which they would be entitled to refuse to answer or produce in the course of court proceedings in England and Wales. The offence may only be tried in the magistrates’ court and is punishable on conviction by a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale. The levels on the standard scale are set out at section 37 of the Criminal Justice Act 1982.
