Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Crimes Act 1961

Matters of justification or excuse - Powers of discipline

60: Discipline on ship or aircraft

You could also call this:

“Rules about using force to keep people behaving well on ships and planes”

If you’re on a ship or an airplane, the person in charge (like the captain or pilot) can use force to keep everyone safe and well-behaved. They can also tell other people to use force if they think it’s really necessary. But they have to have good reasons for doing this, and the force they use must be reasonable for the situation.

If you’re not the person in charge, but you’re asked to help keep order on the ship or plane, you can use force too. As long as you’re trying to do the right thing and following orders from the captain or pilot, it’s okay to use reasonable force.

What counts as a good reason to use force, and how much force is reasonable, depends on the specific situation. These things would be decided based on the facts of what happened.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM328295.

Topics:
Crime and justice > Criminal law
Transport and travel > Air travel
Transport and travel > Boating
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Part 3 Matters of justification or excuse
Powers of discipline

60Discipline on ship or aircraft

  1. The master or officer in command of a ship on a voyage or the pilot in command of an aircraft on a flight is justified in using and ordering the use of force for the purpose of maintaining good order and discipline on board his or her ship or aircraft if he or she believes on reasonable grounds that the use of force is necessary, and if the force used is reasonable in the circumstances.

  2. Every one acting in good faith is justified in using force in obedience to any order given by the master or officer or pilot in command for the purpose aforesaid, if the force used is reasonable in the circumstances.

  3. The reasonableness of the grounds on which the use of force was believed to be necessary, and the reasonableness of the force used, are questions of fact.

Compare
  • 1908 No 32 s 85(2), (3)