Crimes Act 1961

Matters of justification or excuse - Arrest

38: Arrest during flight

You could also call this:

"Arresting someone while chasing them is allowed if you think they've broken the law and are trying to escape."

Illustration for Crimes Act 1961

If you arrest someone during a chase, you are protected from getting in trouble. You must believe they committed a crime against the Crimes Act 1961 and are running away. You also must believe the person chasing them has the authority to arrest them.

This protection applies even if the crime was not actually committed. It also applies even if the person you arrested did not commit the crime. You are still protected as long as you had good reasons to believe these things.

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This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM328253.


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37: Arrest after commission of certain crimes, or

"Arresting someone who you think has just committed a crime"


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39: Force used in executing process or in arrest, or

"Using force when arresting someone or carrying out a court order"

Part 3Matters of justification or excuse
Arrest

38Arrest during flight

  1. Every one is protected from criminal responsibility for arresting without warrant any person whom he or she believes, on reasonable and probable grounds, to have committed an offence against this Act, and to be escaping from and to be freshly pursued by any one whom he or she believes, on reasonable and probable grounds, to have lawful authority to arrest that person for the offence.

  2. This section shall apply whether or not the offence has in fact been committed, and whether or not the arrested person committed it.

Compare
  • 1908 No 32 s 58