Wildlife Act 1953

General provisions - Offences and penalties

68A: Proceedings in respect of offences

You could also call this:

"Going to court for breaking wildlife rules in New Zealand or at sea"

If you commit an offence against the Wildlife Act 1953 at sea or outside New Zealand's fisheries waters, you can be taken to court within 12 months of arriving back in New Zealand. This is even if the offence happened a long time ago. If you commit an offence in New Zealand, you can be taken to court within 12 months of the offence happening. This rule overrides what is said in section 25 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011. You can be charged with an offence within this time frame, no matter when it happened.

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This page was last updated on 24 May 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM278500.

Topics:

Crime and justice > Courts and legal helpCrime and justice > Criminal lawEnvironment and resources > Conservation

68: Conduct of proceedings and recovery of fines, or

"What happens if you break a wildlife rule and have to go to court"

68AB: Mens rea and strict liability offences, or

"Breaking wildlife laws: when you mean to do wrong and when you don't"

Part 5General provisions
Offences and penalties

68AProceedings in respect of offences

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in section 25 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011, proceedings may be taken under this Act against any person for an offence committed at sea or beyond the outer limits of New Zealand fisheries waters at any time within 12 months from the date on which that person first lands in New Zealand after the commission of the offence or, for an offence committed in New Zealand, within 12 months after the date of the commission of the offence.

Notes

Section 68A: inserted, on 1 October 1996, by section 316(1) of the Fisheries Act 1996 (1996 No 88).
Section 68A: amended, on 1 July 2013, by section 413 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011 (2011 No 81).