Crimes Act 1961

Matters of justification or excuse - Arrest

34: Persons assisting constable or officer in arrest

You could also call this:

"Helping a police officer or other authorised person make an arrest"

If a constable asks you to help them arrest someone, you are allowed to assist. You can help unless you know there's no good reason to think the person did anything wrong. The constable must believe the person has committed an offence.

If someone who is not a constable, but has the power to make arrests, asks for your help, you can assist them too. You are allowed to help unless you know there's no good reason to think the person being arrested did anything wrong. This person must have the power to call for help under a specific law.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM328249.


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33: Arrest by other officers or persons pursuant to statutory powers, or

"People who aren't police officers can sometimes arrest others if a law says they can"


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35: Arrest of persons found committing certain crimes, or

"Catching someone breaking the law: when you can arrest them without a warrant"

Part 3Matters of justification or excuse
Arrest

34Persons assisting constable or officer in arrest

  1. Every one called upon by a constable to assist him or her in the arrest of any person believed or suspected to have committed any offence is justified in assisting unless he or she knows that there is no reasonable ground for the belief or suspicion.

  2. Where by any enactment it is provided that any officer or person, not being a constable, may call upon any other person to assist him or her in arresting without warrant any one who has committed or is found committing any offence, every person so called upon is justified in assisting unless he or she knows that there is no reasonable ground for believing that the person to be arrested has committed the offence.

Compare
  • 1908 No 32 s 52