SCHEDULES

SCHEDULE 8Minor and consequential amendments

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 ”.