{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/highways-act-1980/section-137",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/highways-act-1980/section-137.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1980/66",
  "legislation_title": "Highways Act 1980",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/highways-act-1980",
  "path": "section/137",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "137",
  "heading": "Penalty for wilful obstruction.",
  "text": "(1) If a person, without lawful authority or excuse, in any way wilfully obstructs the free passage along a highway he is guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 51 weeks or a fine or both.\n(1A) In relation to an offence committed before the coming into force of section 281(5) of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (alteration of penalties for certain summary offences: England and Wales), the reference in subsection (1) to 51 weeks is to be read as a reference to 6 months.\n(1B) For the purposes of this section it does not matter whether free passage along the highway in question has already been temporarily restricted or temporarily prohibited (whether by a constable, a traffic authority or otherwise).\n(1C) In subsection (1B), “traffic authority” has the same meaning as in the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (see section 121A of that Act).\n(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 137(1) inserted (12.5.2022) by Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 (c. 32), ss. 80(2)(a), 208(1); S.I. 2022/520, reg. 4(b) (with reg. 8)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 137(1) substituted (12.5.2022) by Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 (c. 32), ss. 80(2)(b), 208(1); S.I. 2022/520, reg. 4(b) (with reg. 8)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "S. 137(1A)-(1C) inserted (12.5.2022) by Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 (c. 32), ss. 80(3), 208(1); S.I. 2022/520, reg. 4(b) (with reg. 8)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "S. 137(2) repealed by Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (c. 60, SIF 95), s. 119, Sch. 7 Pt. I"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 137 modified (16.8.2006) by The Dover Harbour Revision Order 2006 (S.I. 2006/2167), art. 27"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1980/66/section/137",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:14:39.674923+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."
  }
}