It is an offence to assault or obstruct a police officer. Assault can include striking, touching, moving or applying any kind of force to a police officer, while obstruction includes hindering, resisting or attempting to obstruct an office while they're performing their duties. It can be as simple as making the officer's job more difficult than it otherwise would have been, and can come with hefty fines and jail time.

Common assault is the lowest category of assault and involves any person who strikes, touches, moves or applies force to another, or threatens to apply force. The injuries sustained are relatively minor though the penalties for a common assault charge could include jail depending on the circumstances, as well as probation, Community Service Order and fines.

Grievous Bodily Harm is the most serious type of assault, and involves one person maiming, disfiguring or permanently disabling another. The injury will be significant enough that it has the potential to endanger the victim's life if left untreated. It could involve burning, scarring, mutilating or crippling another, and can carry a maximum 14 year imprisonment depending on the circumstances.

A more serious charge is that of Assault Occasioning Bodily Harm, whereby a person strikes, touches, moves or otherwise applies force to another person without their consent, which causes them to suffer an injury or some kind of bodily harm such as bruising, swelling, cuts, scratches or broken bones. Penalties include jail, an Intensive Corrections Order, Probation or Community Service Order.