As part of their statutory duties under The Courts Act 2003, Section 99, Schedule 7, paragraph 5, Shergroup Enforcement Officers may call on local police to assist them in the execution of any High Court Writ of Execution. The enabling legislation states:
Constable’s duty to assist enforcement officers
It is the duty of every constable,
at the
request
of-
(a) an enforcement officer, or
(b) a person acting under the officer’s authority,
to assist the officer or that person in the execution of a writ.
Shergroup Enforcement Officers work closely with their policing partners to execute any Writ sent to them for enforcement in accordance with the Rules of the Supreme Court, and other guiding legislation such as Data Protection, Health & Safety and The European Convention on Human Rights.
The Courts Act 2003 also amends the provisions of The Criminal Law Act 1977 which made it an offence to obstruct a Sheriff’s Officer in the execution of a High Court Writ.
Under Section 189 of the Courts Act 2003, the 2003 Act amends Section 10 of the 1977 Act so that a person is guilty of an offence if he resists or intentionally obstructs any person who is an enforcement officer or a person acting under the authority of an enforcement officer and who is engaged in executing a Writ issued from the High Court or a county court warrant.
