184 Defeating or obstructing the course of justice
(1) Any person who-
(a) by any act or omission, causes judicial proceedings to be defeated or obstructed, intending to defeat or obstruct the proceedings or realising that there is a real risk or possibility that the proceedings may be defeated or obstructed; or
(b) by any act or omission intentionally hinders or obstructs another person whom he or she knows to be an officer of court in the performance of his or her duties as such; or
(c) makes any statement, whether written or oral, in connection with any case which is pending before a court, intending the statement to prejudice the trial of the case, or realising that there is a real risk or possibility that the trial of the case may be prejudiced by the statement; or
(d) in the course of or for the purposes of judicial proceedings makes a false statement otherwise than upon oath, whether the statement is written or oral, knowing that the statement is false or realising that there is a real risk or possibility that the statement may be false; or
(e) knowing that a police officer is investigating the commission of a crime, or realising that there is a real risk or possibility that a police officer may be investigating the commission or suspected commission of a crime, and who, by any act or omission, causes such investigation to be defeated or obstructed, intending to defeat or obstruct the investigation or realising that there is a real risk or possibility that the investigation may be defeated or obstructed; or
(f) makes a statement to a police officer falsely alleging that a crime has been committed or may have been committed, knowing that the allegation is false or realising that there is a real risk or possibility that it may be false; or
(g) resists, hinders or disturbs a police officer in the execution of his or her duty, knowing that the police officer is a police officer executing his or her duty or realising that there is a real risk or possibility that the police officer may be a police officer executing his or her duty; or
(h) intentionally agrees with another person that, in return for a reward, he or she will not report to a police officer the commission of a crime;
shall be guilty of defeating or obstructing the course of justice and liable in a case referred to in-
(i) paragraph (a), (d) or (e) to a fine not exceeding level ten or imprisonment for a period not exceeding five years or both;
(ii) paragraph (f) or (g) to a fine not exceeding level seven or imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years or both;
(iii) paragraph (b), (c) or (h) to a fine not exceeding level six or imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year or both.
(2) For the purposes of subsection (1), and without limiting that provision in any way
(a) judicial proceedings are defeated when an innocent person is convicted or a guilty person escapes conviction or a plaintiff or applicant unjustly succeeds or a defendant or respondent unjustly fails to succeed;
(b) judicial proceedings or the investigation of any crime are obstructed when the judicial proceedings or investigations are impeded or interfered with in any way.
(3) Subsections (2) and (3) of section one hundred and eighty-three shall apply in relation to a false statement referred to in paragraph (d) of subsection (1) as they apply to a person who makes a statement upon oath.
(4) If a person who has committed or is suspected of having committed a crime refuses to make a statement or point out anything to a police officer, that refusal shall not constitute the crime of defeating or obstructing the course of justice.
