Part V Miscellaneous and General

Offences

89 Assaults on constables.

(1)

Any person who assaults 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 and liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale, or to both.

(2)

Any person who resists or wilfully obstructs 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 and liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one month or to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale, or to both.

(3)

This section also applies to a constable who is a member of F1the Police Service of Scotland or Northern Ireland when he is executing a warrant, or otherwise acting in England or Wales, by virtue of any enactment conferring powers on him in England and Wales.

F2(4)

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 a police force F3...; and

(b)

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

(5)

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

F4(a)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F4(b)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(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 Secretary of State.

(6)

A statutory instrument containing an order under subsection (5) shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.