Serious Fraud Office Act 1990

Introduction

You could also call this:

"Helping to Detect and Investigate Big Fraud Cases"

Illustration for Serious Fraud Office Act 1990

You want to know about a new law. This law helps the Serious Fraud Office find and investigate big or complicated fraud cases. It also helps them deal with these cases quickly. The law is made up of a few main parts. It helps the Serious Fraud Office detect fraud and look into it. It also helps them take action against people who commit fraud, and do it quickly. The law covers other things that are related to the Serious Fraud Office and how it works.

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM210989.

This page was last updated on 4 January 2026 — View changes

Highlights from this law

4: Exercise of powers under this Part

Investigating suspected fraud using special powers

5: Power to require production of documents

The Director can ask you to share important documents to help with a fraud investigation.

6: Power to obtain search warrant

Getting a warrant to search a place for evidence of serious fraud

7: Exercise of powers under this Part

Using special powers to investigate serious fraud

8: Factors to which Director may have regard

What the Director Considers When Looking at Suspected Fraud

9: Power to require attendance before Director, production of documents, etc

The Director can ask you to talk to them and share documents to help with a fraud investigation.

10: Power to obtain search warrant

Getting a warrant to search for important evidence

11: Power to assume from Police the responsibility for investigating certain cases of fraud

The Director can take over fraud cases from the Police to investigate.

1: Short Title, or

"The law's short name is the Serious Fraud Office Act 1990"

Serious Fraud Office Act 1990

Reprint as at:: 2025-11-27
Assent:: 1990-07-03
Commencement:: 3 July 1990

The Parliamentary Counsel Office has made editorial and format changes to this version using the powers under subpart 2 of Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019.

Note 4 at the end of this version provides a list of the amendments included in it.

This Act is administered by the Ministry of Justice.

An Act— (a) to facilitate the detection and investigation by the Serious Fraud Office of cases of serious or complex fraud; and (b) to enable proceedings relating to such fraud to be taken expeditiously; and (c) to provide for matters incidental upon the establishment of the Serious Fraud Office