Search and Surveillance Act 2012

General provisions

3: Interpretation

You could also call this:

"What special words mean in the Search and Surveillance Act 2012"

Illustration for Search and Surveillance Act 2012

You need to know what some words mean in the Search and Surveillance Act 2012. Access to a computer system means you can use it or get information from it. A constable is a police officer, and a controlled drug is a drug that is illegal or restricted. You can find the meanings of these words and more in this Act. Some words have the same meaning as in other laws, like the Arms Act 1983 or the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975. For example, arms include guns and explosives, and a category 3 offence is defined in the Criminal Procedure Act 2011. A chief executive is the person in charge of a law enforcement agency, and a computer system includes computers, phones, and other devices that can store or send information. A Customs officer is someone who works for Customs, and a District Court Judge is a judge in the District Court. An enforcement officer is a police officer or someone else who has the power to enforce the law. You can read about these and other definitions in the Search and Surveillance Act 2012.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM2136542.


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Part 1General provisions

3Interpretation

  1. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—

    access, in relation to any computer system, means instruct, communicate with, store data in, receive data from, or otherwise make use of any of the resources of the computer system

      access information includes codes, passwords, and encryption keys, and any related information that enables access to a computer system or any other data storage device

        arms means any firearm, airgun, pistol, pistol carbine conversion kit, restricted weapon, prohibited magazine, non-prohibited magazine, part, imitation firearm, or explosive (as those terms are defined in the Arms Act 1983), or any ammunition

          business context, in relation to the acquisition of any information by a person, means the acquisition of the information in the person's capacity as—

          1. a provider of professional services or professional advice in relation to a person who is being investigated, or 1 or more of whose transactions are being investigated, in respect of an offence; or
            1. a director, manager, officer, trustee, or employee of an entity that is being investigated, or 1 or more of whose transactions are being investigated, in respect of an offence

              category 3 offence has the same meaning as in section 6 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011

                category 4 offence has the same meaning as in section 6 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011

                  chief executive, in relation to a law enforcement agency, means—

                  1. the chief executive (however described) of the law enforcement agency; and
                    1. in the case of the New Zealand Police, the Commissioner of Police

                      Commissioner means the Commissioner of Police

                        computer system

                        1. means—
                          1. a computer; or
                            1. 2 or more interconnected computers; or
                              1. any communication links between computers or to remote terminals or another device; or
                                1. 2 or more interconnected computers combined with any communication links between computers or to remote terminals or any other device; and
                                2. includes any part of the items described in paragraph (a) and all related input, output, processing, storage, software, or communication facilities, and stored data

                                  constable has the same meaning as in section 4 of the Policing Act 2008

                                    controlled drug has the same meaning as in section 2(1) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975

                                      Crown entity has the same meaning as in section 7(1) of the Crown Entities Act 2004

                                        Customs officer has the meaning given to it in section 5(1) of the Customs and Excise Act 2018

                                          District Court Judge means a Judge appointed under the District Court Act 2016

                                            enforcement officer means—

                                            1. a constable; or
                                              1. any person authorised by an enactment specified in column 2 of Schedule 2, or by any other enactment that expressly applies any provision in Part 4, to exercise a power of entry, search, inspection, examination, or seizure

                                                equipment includes fingerprint powder and any chemical or other substance used for law enforcement purposes

                                                  evidential material, in relation to an offence or a suspected offence, means evidence of the offence, or any other item, tangible or intangible, of relevance to the investigation of the offence

                                                    examination order means an examination order made under section 38

                                                      informant has the same meaning as in section 6(1) of the Criminal Disclosure Act 2008

                                                        intelligence and security agency means—

                                                        1. the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service; or
                                                          1. the Government Communications Security Bureau

                                                            intercept, in relation to a private communication, includes hear, listen to, record, monitor, acquire, or receive the communication either—

                                                            1. while it is taking place; or
                                                              1. while it is in transit

                                                                interception device

                                                                1. means any electronic, mechanical, electromagnetic, optical, or electro-optical instrument, apparatus, equipment, or other device that is used or is capable of being used to intercept or record a private communication (including a telecommunication); but
                                                                  1. does not include a hearing aid or similar device used to correct subnormal hearing of the user to no better than normal hearing

                                                                    issuing officer means—

                                                                    1. a Judge:
                                                                      1. a person, such as a Justice of the Peace, Community Magistrate, Registrar, or Deputy Registrar, who is for the time being authorised to act as an issuing officer under section 108

                                                                        Judge means a District Court Judge or a Judge of the High Court

                                                                          law enforcement agency means any department of State, Crown entity, local authority, or other body that employs or engages enforcement officers as part of its functions

                                                                            lawyer means a lawyer within the meaning of section 6 of the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006

                                                                              local authority means a local authority within the meaning of section 5(1) of the Local Government Act 2002

                                                                                medical practitioner means a health practitioner who is, or is deemed to be, registered with the Medical Council of New Zealand continued by section 114(1)(a) of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 as a practitioner of the profession of medicine

                                                                                  network operator has the same meaning as in section 3(1) of the Telecommunications (Interception Capability and Security) Act 2013

                                                                                    non-business context means a context other than a business context

                                                                                      non-private premises means premises, or part of a premises, to which members of the public are frequently permitted to have access, and includes any part of a hospital, bus station, railway station, airport, or shop

                                                                                        nurse means a health practitioner who is, or is deemed to be, registered with the Nursing Council of New Zealand continued by section 114(1)(a) of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 as a practitioner of the profession of nursing whose scope of practice permits the performance of general nursing functions

                                                                                          Police article has the same meaning as in section 4 of the Policing Act 2008

                                                                                            Police bail has the same meaning as in Part 2 of the Bail Act 2000

                                                                                              Police employee has the same meaning as in section 4 of the Policing Act 2008

                                                                                                Police uniform has the same meaning as in section 4 of the Policing Act 2008

                                                                                                  precursor substance has the same meaning as in section 2(1) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975

                                                                                                    private activity means activity that, in the circumstances, any 1 or more of the participants in it ought reasonably to expect is observed or recorded by no one except the participants

                                                                                                      private communication

                                                                                                      1. means a communication (whether in oral or written form, or in the form of a telecommunication, or otherwise) made under circumstances that may reasonably be taken to indicate that any party to the communication desires it to be confined to the parties to the communication; but
                                                                                                        1. does not include a communication of that kind occurring in circumstances in which any party to the communication ought reasonably to expect that the communication may be intercepted by some other person without having the express or implied consent of any party to do so

                                                                                                          private premises means a private dwellinghouse, a marae, and any other premises that are not within the definition of non-private premises

                                                                                                            production order means a production order made under section 74

                                                                                                              raw surveillance data

                                                                                                              1. means actual video recordings or actual audio recordings; and
                                                                                                                1. includes full transcripts, or substantial parts of transcripts, of audio recordings

                                                                                                                  remote access search means a search of a thing such as an Internet data storage facility that does not have a physical address that a person can enter and search

                                                                                                                    road block means any form of barrier or obstruction preventing or limiting the passage of vehicles

                                                                                                                      rub-down search means a search described in sections 85(2), 86, and 87

                                                                                                                        search power, in relation to any provision in this Act, means—

                                                                                                                        1. every search warrant issued under this Act or an enactment set out in column 2 of Schedule 2 to which that provision is applied; and
                                                                                                                          1. every power, conferred under this Act or an enactment set out in column 2 of Schedule 2 to which that provision is applied, to enter and search, or enter and inspect or examine (without warrant) any place, vehicle, or other thing, or to search a person

                                                                                                                            strip search means a search where the person conducting the search may require the person being searched to undress, or to remove, raise, lower, or open any item or items of clothing so that the genitals, buttocks, or (in the case of a female) breasts are—

                                                                                                                            1. uncovered; or
                                                                                                                              1. covered only by underclothing

                                                                                                                                surveillance device means a device that is any 1 or more of the following kinds of devices:

                                                                                                                                1. an interception device:
                                                                                                                                  1. a tracking device:
                                                                                                                                    1. a visual surveillance device

                                                                                                                                      surveillance power means—

                                                                                                                                      1. the power to carry out the activities authorised by a surveillance device warrant issued under subpart 1 of Part 3; or
                                                                                                                                        1. a warrantless surveillance power

                                                                                                                                          thing seized does not include anything made or generated by a person exercising a search or surveillance power (for example, photographs, drawings, or audio or video recordings made by or on behalf of that person, or a forensic copy of a computer hard drive)

                                                                                                                                            tracking device

                                                                                                                                            1. means a device that may be used to help ascertain, by electronic or other means, either or both of the following:
                                                                                                                                              1. the location of a thing or a person:
                                                                                                                                                1. whether a thing has been opened, tampered with, or in some other way dealt with; but
                                                                                                                                                2. does not include a vehicle or other means of transport, such as a boat or helicopter

                                                                                                                                                  traffic data has the same meaning as in section 3AB of the Telecommunications (Interception Capability and Security) Act 2013

                                                                                                                                                    trespass surveillance means surveillance that involves trespass to land or trespass to goods

                                                                                                                                                      unique identifier, in relation to an enforcement officer, means an identifier, used to identify the officer, that is not his or her name and that—

                                                                                                                                                      1. is assigned to him or her by the law enforcement agency that employs or engages him or her for the purposes of its operations; and
                                                                                                                                                        1. uniquely identifies him or her in relation to the law enforcement agency

                                                                                                                                                          unlawfully at large, in relation to a person, means that he or she is any 1 or more of the following:

                                                                                                                                                          1. a person for whose arrest a warrant (other than a warrant issued under Part 3 of the Summary Proceedings Act 1957) is in force:
                                                                                                                                                            1. unlawfully at large within the meaning of the Corrections Act 2004 or the Parole Act 2002:
                                                                                                                                                              1. a prison breaker within the meaning of section 119 of the Crimes Act 1961:
                                                                                                                                                                1. an escapee from lawful custody within the meaning of section 120 of the Crimes Act 1961:
                                                                                                                                                                  1. a special patient or restricted patient within the meaning of the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992 who has escaped or failed to return on the expiry or cancellation of a period of leave:
                                                                                                                                                                    1. a care recipient or special care recipient within the meaning of the Intellectual Disability (Compulsory Care and Rehabilitation) Act 2003 who has escaped or failed to return on the expiry or cancellation of a period of leave:
                                                                                                                                                                      1. a young person within the meaning of the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 who is subject to an order made under section 311(1) of that Act and who is absconding from the custody of the chief executive (as defined in that Act)

                                                                                                                                                                        vehicle means any conveyance that is capable of being moved under a person's control, whether or not the conveyance is used for the carriage of persons or goods, and includes a motor vehicle, aircraft, train, ship, or bicycle

                                                                                                                                                                          visual surveillance device

                                                                                                                                                                          1. means any electronic, mechanical, electromagnetic, optical, or electro-optical instrument, apparatus, equipment, or other device that is used or is capable of being used to observe, or to observe and record, a private activity; but
                                                                                                                                                                            1. does not include spectacles, contact lenses, or a similar device used to correct subnormal vision of the user to no better than normal vision

                                                                                                                                                                              visual trespass surveillance means trespass surveillance involving the use of a visual surveillance device

                                                                                                                                                                                warrantless surveillance power means a power conferred by section 48.

                                                                                                                                                                                1. For the purposes of the definition of computer system, a computer is interconnected with another computer if it can be lawfully used to provide access to that other computer—

                                                                                                                                                                                2. with or without access information; and
                                                                                                                                                                                  1. whether or not either or both computers are currently turned on; and
                                                                                                                                                                                    1. whether or not access is currently occurring.
                                                                                                                                                                                      Notes
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Section 3(1) arms: replaced, on , by section 18 of the Firearms Prohibition Orders Legislation Act 2022 (2022 No 41).
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Section 3(1) chief executive: replaced, on , by section 4(1) of the Budapest Convention and Related Matters Legislation Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 39).
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Section 3(1) Customs officer: amended, on , by section 443(3) of the Customs and Excise Act 2018 (2018 No 4).
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Section 3(1) District Court Judge: amended, on , by section 261 of the District Court Act 2016 (2016 No 49).
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Section 3(1) enforcement officer paragraph (b): amended, on , by section 27(1) of the Budapest Convention and Related Matters Legislation Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 39).
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Section 3(1) intelligence and security agency: inserted, on , by section 4(2) of the Budapest Convention and Related Matters Legislation Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 39).
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Section 3(1) lawyer: inserted, on , by section 4(2) of the Budapest Convention and Related Matters Legislation Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 39).
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Section 3(1) network operator: inserted, on , by section 4(2) of the Budapest Convention and Related Matters Legislation Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 39).
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Section 3(1) search power paragraph (a): amended, on , by section 27(1) of the Budapest Convention and Related Matters Legislation Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 39).
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Section 3(1) search power paragraph (b): amended, on , by section 27(1) of the Budapest Convention and Related Matters Legislation Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 39).
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Section 3(1) surveillance power: inserted, on , by section 4(2) of the Budapest Convention and Related Matters Legislation Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 39).
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Section 3(1) traffic data: inserted, on , by section 4(2) of the Budapest Convention and Related Matters Legislation Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 39).
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Section 3(1) unlawfully at large paragraph (g): amended, on , by section 149 of the Children, Young Persons, and Their Families (Oranga Tamariki) Legislation Act 2017 (2017 No 31).
                                                                                                                                                                                      • Section 3(1) warrantless surveillance power: inserted, on , by section 4(2) of the Budapest Convention and Related Matters Legislation Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 39).