Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Crimes Act 1961

Parties to the commission of offences

66: Parties to offences

You could also call this:

"Being involved in a crime, even if you don't do it yourself, can make you a part of it"

You are a party to an offence if you do something to help someone else commit a crime. This can happen if you actually commit the offence yourself. You can also be a party to an offence if you help someone else commit it.

If you do something to aid someone in committing a crime, you are a party to the offence. You are also a party to the offence if you encourage or help someone to commit it. This includes telling someone to commit a crime or helping them to do it.

When two or more people work together to do something illegal, they are all parties to any crimes that are committed as a result. This is true if they knew that committing a crime was a likely result of what they were doing. You are a party to every offence committed by anyone in your group if you were working together to achieve an illegal goal.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM328506.

Topics:
Crime and justice > Criminal law
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"This law doesn't change other laws that let police arrest or detain people."

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67: Conspiracy between spouses or civil union partners, or

"A married couple or civil union partners can be charged with planning a crime together or with others."

Part 4Parties to the commission of offences

66Parties to offences

  1. Every one is a party to and guilty of an offence who—

  2. actually commits the offence; or
    1. does or omits an act for the purpose of aiding any person to commit the offence; or
      1. abets any person in the commission of the offence; or
        1. incites, counsels, or procures any person to commit the offence.

          1. Where 2 or more persons form a common intention to prosecute any unlawful purpose, and to assist each other therein, each of them is a party to every offence committed by any one of them in the prosecution of the common purpose if the commission of that offence was known to be a probable consequence of the prosecution of the common purpose.

          Compare
          • 1908 No 32 s 90