Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Biosecurity Act 1993

Preliminary

3: Application of Act to syndromes of uncertain origin

You could also call this:

"This law applies to health problems with unknown causes, like syndromes that might be caused by organisms."

This law applies to some health problems that you might get, but scientists are not sure what causes them. You might get a syndrome, which is a group of symptoms that scientists think are related. Scientists think some syndromes are probably caused by an organism, but they do not have proof.

If scientists think a syndrome is caused by an organism, but they do not know what the organism is, this law still applies. You can refer to the syndrome by its commonly accepted name when talking about it in a pest management plan or a pathway management plan. This law treats the syndrome as if it is caused by an organism, even if scientists are not sure.

When talking about syndromes, a syndrome means a group of symptoms or behaviours that scientists think are caused by one thing.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM315221.

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Part 1Preliminary

3Application of Act to syndromes of uncertain origin

  1. This subsection applies to a syndrome if—

  2. the scientific community generally accepts that—
    1. it is probably caused by an organism; but
      1. there is no satisfactory proof that it is in fact caused by an organism; or
      2. the scientific community generally accepts that—
        1. it is caused by an organism; but
          1. there is no satisfactory evidence available as to the identity or nature of the organism causing it.

          2. This Act shall have effect as if every syndrome to which subsection (1) applies is in fact caused by an organism, which may be specified (in a pest management plan or a pathway management plan or for any other purpose) by reference to the name generally accepted by the scientific community for that syndrome.

          3. In this section, syndrome means a group of characteristic symptoms, behaviours, or symptoms and behaviours, generally recognised by the scientific community as proceeding or being likely to proceed from a single cause.

          Notes
          • Section 3(2): amended, on , by section 6 of the Biosecurity Law Reform Act 2012 (2012 No 73).