Useful Criminal Legislation

Legislation that is commonly applied in the District Court’s criminal jurisdiction includes:

• Animal Welfare Act 1979
  An Act to reform the law relating to the welfare of animals and the prevention of their ill-treatment.

• Bail Act 2000
  The purpose of this Act is to reform and restate the law relating to bail.
  
  
• Crimes Act 1961
  An Act relating to crimes and other offences. Parts 12-13 relate to: jurisdiction; punishments; justification or excuse; parties to the commission of offenses; crimes against public order; crimes affecting law and justice; crimes against religion, mporality and public welfare; crimes against the person; reputation; personal privacy; rights of property; threatening, consipiring and attempting to commit offences; procedure; and appeals. Part 14 concerns the requirement of the Attorney-General's consent to certain prosecutions.

• Criminal Procedure Act 2011
  An Act setting out the procedure for the conduct of criminal proceedings and providing for the use of technology in relation to criminal procedure and the court record of criminal proceedings.

• Criminal Procedure (Mentally Impaired Persons) Act 2003
  An Act stating the law in relation to criminal procedure and mentally impaired persons: providing the courts with appropriate options for the detention, assessment and care of defendants and offenders with an intellectual disability; and providing that a defendant may not be found to be unfit to stand trial for an offence unless the evidence against the defendant is sufficient to establish that the defendant caused the act or ommission that forms the basis of the offence; and other related matters.

• Criminal Procedure Rules 2012
  Rules with the objective of regulating the practice and procedure of District Courts and the High Court and secure just and timely determination of proceedings.

• District Court Act 2016
  The purposes of this Act are—

  (a) to reconstitute District Courts as a single court with divisions for a Family Court, a Youth Court, and a Disputes Tribunal; and
  (b) to provide for—

  (i) the constitution and jurisdiction of the court; and
  (ii) the practice and procedure of the court; and
  (iii) the selection, appointment, removal, and conditions of the judicial and other officers of the court; and

  (c) to make provision for any other related matters; and
  (d) to improve the transparency of court arrangements in a manner consistent with judicial independence.

• Evidence Act 2006
  An Act to help secure the just determination of proceedings by: providing for facts to be established by the application of logical rules; providing rules of evidence that recognise the importance of the rights affirmed by the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990; promoting fairness to parties and witnesses; protecting rights of confidentiality and other important public interests; avoiding unjustifiable expense and delay; and enhancing access to the law of evidence.

• Land Transport Act 1998
  An Act to: promote safe road user behaviour and vehicle safety; provide for a system of rules governing road user behaviour, the licensing of drivers, and technical aspects of land transport, and to recognise reciprocal obligations of persons involved; consolidate and amend various enactments relating to road safety and land transport; and enable New Zealand to implement international agreements relating to road safety and land transport.

• New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990
  An Act to: affirm, protect, and promote human rights and fundamental freedoms in New Zealand; and to affirm New Zealand's commitment to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

• Resource Management Act 1991
  An Act relating to the use of land, air, and water. The purpose of the Act is to promote the sustainable management of natural and physical resources.

• Sentencing Act 2002
  The purposes of this Act are to: set out the purposes for which offenders may be sentenced or otherwise dealt with; promote those purposes, and aid in the public’s understanding of sentencing practices, by providing principles and guidelines to be applied by courts in sentencing or otherwise dealing with offenders; provide a sufficient range of sentences and other means of dealing with offenders; and provide for the interests of victims of crime.

• Summary Offences Act 1981
  An Act relating to summary offences - offences against public order, persons or property, regulating sale of spraycans, offences resembling forgery or fraud,disclosure of certain official information, intimidation, obstruction and hindering police, indencency, offences resembling nuisance, infringement offences, search, arrest and jurisdiction.