Commentary on Sections Part 3.Tobacco and Nicotine Products Chapter 2 - Retailers of Tobacco and Nicotine Products Section 45 - Obstruction etc. of officers
77.This section provides that any person who intentionally obstructs an authorised officer from carrying out their function 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, fails to give information without reasonable cause, or gives a false or misleading statement is also 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 in section 37 of the Criminal Justice Act 1982.