{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/armed-forces-act-2006/section-340K",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/armed-forces-act-2006/section-340K.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2006/52",
  "legislation_title": "Armed Forces Act 2006",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/armed-forces-act-2006",
  "path": "section/340K",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "340K",
  "heading": "Obstruction and contempt",
  "text": "(1) This section applies if a person—\n(a) without lawful excuse, obstructs the discharge of any of the Armed Forces Commissioner’s functions relating to an investigation under section 340H or 340IA, or\n(b) does any act in relation to an investigation that would constitute contempt of court if the investigation were proceedings in the High Court (or, in Scotland, the Court of Session).\n(2) The Commissioner may certify the obstruction or act to the High Court (or, in Scotland, the Court of Session).\n(3) The court may inquire into the certified obstruction or act.\n(4) If the court, having heard any witness on behalf of or against the person and any statement in the person's defence, is satisfied that the person—\n(a) without lawful excuse, obstructed the discharge of any of the Commissioner’s functions relating to the investigation, or\n(b) did the act referred to in subsection (1)(b),\nit may deal with the person in any way in which it could deal with the person if he or she had committed contempt in relation to the court.\n(5) In this section, “act” includes an omission and references to the doing of an act are to be read accordingly.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Pt. 14A inserted (1.1.2016) by Armed Forces (Service Complaints and Financial Assistance) Act 2015 (c. 19), ss. 2(1), 7(1); S.I. 2015/1957, reg. 2 (with savings and transitional provisions in S.I. 2015/1969)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 340K(1)(a) substituted (1.4.2026) by Armed Forces Commissioner Act 2025 (c. 23), s. 7(2), Sch. 2 para. 19(a); S.I. 2026/14, regs. 2, 4(e) (with reg. 5)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 340K(1)(a) inserted (1.4.2026) by Armed Forces Commissioner Act 2025 (c. 23), s. 7(2), Sch. 2 para. 18; S.I. 2026/14, regs. 2, 4(e) (with reg. 5)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Word in s. 340K(2) substituted (1.4.2026) by Armed Forces Commissioner Act 2025 (c. 23), s. 7(2), Sch. 2 para. 11(e); S.I. 2026/14, regs. 2, 4(e) (with reg. 5)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Word in s. 340K(4)(a) substituted (1.4.2026) by Armed Forces Commissioner Act 2025 (c. 23), s. 7(2), Sch. 2 para. 12(c); S.I. 2026/14, regs. 2, 4(e) (with reg. 5)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/52/section/340K",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:13:24.063324+00:00",
    "licence": "OGL-UK-3.0",
    "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
    "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
  }
}