34BResistance to, and obstruction of, public officers prohibited

### 34B Resistance to, and obstruction of, public officers prohibited > *\[Section 34B Inserted by No. 53 of 1965, s. 2 \]* > > > (1)  *\[Section 34B Subsection (1) amended by No. 55 of 1965, s. 5 \]**\[Section 34B Subsection (1) amended by No. 13 of 1987, s. 5 and Sched. 1 \]**\[Section 34B Subsection (1) amended by No. 44 of 1990, s. 225 and Sched. 3 \]*A person shall not – > > > > > > (a) assault, resist, or wilfully obstruct – > > > > > > > > > > (i) a police officer in the execution of his duty; > > > > > > > > > > > (ii) a person lawfully assisting a police officer in the execution of his duty; or > > > > > > > > > > > (iii) a person lawfully arresting another person; > > > > > > > (b) threaten, intimidate, or use abusive language to any such police officer whilst in the performance or execution of his duty or a person assisting a police officer therein; or > > > > > > > (c) instigate or incite a person to do any of the things mentioned in the foregoing provisions of this subsection. > > > (1A)  [*\[Section 34B Subsection (1A) amended by No. 15 of 2014, s. 21, Applied:19 Dec 2014\]*](/view/html/inforce/2014-12-19/act-2014-015#GS21@Hpb@EN) [*\[Section 34B Subsection (1A) amended by No. 15 of 2014, s. 21, Applied:19 Dec 2014\]*](/view/html/inforce/2014-12-19/act-2014-015#GS21@Hpa@EN) [*\[Section 34B Subsection (1A) amended by No. 77 of 2003, s. 5, Applied:15 Dec 2003\]*](/view/html/inforce/2003-12-15/act-2003-077#GS5@Hpb@EN) [*\[Section 34B Subsection (1A) amended by No. 77 of 2003, s. 5, Applied:15 Dec 2003\]*](/view/html/inforce/2003-12-15/act-2003-077#GS5@Hpa@EN) *\[Section 34B Subsection (1A) inserted by No. 13 of 1987, s. 5 and Sched. 1 \]*A person who contravenes a provision of [subsection (1)](#GS34B@Gs1@EN) is guilty of an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a penalty not exceeding 100 penalty units or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years. > > > (2)  *\[Section 34B Subsection (2) amended by No. 55 of 1965, s. 5 \]**\[Section 34B Subsection (2) amended by No. 13 of 1987, s. 5 and Sched. 1 \]**\[Section 34B Subsection (2) amended by No. 4 of 1992, s. 5 \]*A person shall not – > > > > > > (a) [*\[Section 34B Subsection (2) amended by No. 15 of 2014, s. 21, Applied:19 Dec 2014\]*](/view/html/inforce/2014-12-19/act-2014-015#GS21@Hpc@EN) assault, resist, intimidate, or wilfully obstruct a public officer or an emergency service worker in the execution of his duty, or lawfully performing a duty imposed on him by an Act, or in the exercise of a public duty or authority; > > > > > > > (b) threaten or use abusive language to any such person so acting; or > > > > > > > (c) instigate or incite a person to do any of the things mentioned in the foregoing provisions of this subsection. > > > (2A)  [*\[Section 34B Subsection (2A) amended by No. 15 of 2014, s. 21, Applied:19 Dec 2014\]*](/view/html/inforce/2014-12-19/act-2014-015#GS21@Hpe@EN) [*\[Section 34B Subsection (2A) amended by No. 15 of 2014, s. 21, Applied:19 Dec 2014\]*](/view/html/inforce/2014-12-19/act-2014-015#GS21@Hpd@EN) [*\[Section 34B Subsection (2A) amended by No. 77 of 2003, s. 5, Applied:15 Dec 2003\]*](/view/html/inforce/2003-12-15/act-2003-077#GS5@Hpd@EN) [*\[Section 34B Subsection (2A) amended by No. 77 of 2003, s. 5, Applied:15 Dec 2003\]*](/view/html/inforce/2003-12-15/act-2003-077#GS5@Hpc@EN) *\[Section 34B Subsection (2A) inserted by No. 13 of 1987, s. 5 and Sched. 1 \]*A person who contravenes a provision of [subsection (2)](#GS34B@Gs2@EN) is guilty of an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a penalty not exceeding 50 penalty units or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years. > > > (3)  *\[Section 34B Subsection (3) amended by No. 44 of 1990, s. 225 and Sched. 3 \]**\[Section 34B Subsection (3) amended by No. 4 of 1992, s. 5 \]*A police officer may arrest without warrant any person committing an offence against [subsection (1)](#GS34B@Gs1@EN) or [(2)](#GS34B@Gs2@EN) [(a)](#GS34B@Gs2@Hpa@EN) . > > > (4)  [*\[Section 34B Subsection (4) substituted by No. 15 of 2014, s. 21, Applied:19 Dec 2014\]*](/view/html/inforce/2014-12-19/act-2014-015#GS21@Hpf@EN) In this section – > > > > > ***emergency service worker*** means  – > > > > > > > > (a) a person employed or appointed under the [Fire Service Act 1979](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-1979-035) ; or > > > > > > > > > (b) a person employed or appointed under the [Ambulance Service Act 1982](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-1982-105) ; or > > > > > > > > > (c) an emergency management worker referred to in paragraph (a), (b), (c) or (d) of [the definition of ***emergency management worker*** in section 3 of the](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-2006-012#GS3@Nd21122004463816@EN) [Emergency Management Act 2006](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-2006-012) ; or > > > > > > > > > (d) an emergency management worker referred to in paragraph (e) of [the definition of ***emergency management worker*** in section 3 of the](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-2006-012#GS3@Nd21122004463816@EN) [Emergency Management Act 2006](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-2006-012) in relation to – > > > > > > > > > > > > (i) an authorised use of emergency powers under [section 40 of the](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-2006-012#GS40@EN) [Emergency Management Act 2006](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-2006-012) ; or > > > > > > > > > > > > > (ii) a declared state of emergency under [section 42 of the](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-2006-012#GS42@EN) [Emergency Management Act 2006](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-2006-012) ; > > > > > ***public officer*** includes any person acting in good faith in the execution, or intended execution, of an Act or a public duty or authority.