Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Crimes Act 1961

Crimes against public order - Piracy

93: Piratical acts

You could also call this:

“Actions considered piracy: attacking ships or planes, stealing goods, or causing trouble on board”

You commit a piratical act if you do any of these things:

If you’re in New Zealand, or if you’re a New Zealand citizen or usually live in New Zealand but are somewhere else, you pretend to have permission from another country or person to attack or rob others.

You go onto a New Zealand ship, inside or outside of New Zealand, and throw away or destroy things on the ship.

On a New Zealand ship, inside or outside of New Zealand, you:

  • Turn against the ship and run away with it, or with any boat, weapons, bullets, or other items.
  • Give up the ship, boat, weapons, bullets, or other items to a pirate.
  • Tell or convince someone else to give up or run away with a ship or items, or to become a pirate or join pirates.
  • Attack the person in charge of the ship to stop them from protecting the ship and its items.
  • Lock up or hold back the person in charge of the ship.
  • Start or try to start a fight on the ship.

These rules also apply to aircraft. When we talk about the person in charge of a ship, for an aircraft, we mean the pilot who’s flying the plane.

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM328573.

Topics:
Crime and justice > Criminal law
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92: Piracy, or

“This law explains what happens to people who act like pirates on ships or planes, with big punishments for hurting others.”

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94: Punishment of piratical acts, or

“Pirates can go to jail for life if they hurt someone, or up to 14 years for other pirate activities.”

Part 5 Crimes against public order
Piracy

93Piratical acts

  1. Every one commits a piratical act who—

  2. within New Zealand, or, being a New Zealand citizen or a person ordinarily resident in New Zealand, outside New Zealand, under pretence of any commission from any State other than New Zealand (whether or not that State is at war with New Zealand) or under pretence of authority from any person whatever, commits an act of hostility or robbery:
    1. within or outside New Zealand, enters into any New Zealand ship and throws overboard or destroys any goods on board the ship:
      1. within or outside New Zealand, on board any New Zealand ship—
        1. turns enemy or rebel and piratically runs away with the ship or any boat, weapons, ammunition, or goods; or
          1. voluntarily yields up the ship or any boat, weapons, ammunition, or goods to any pirate; or
            1. counsels or procures any person to yield up or run away with any ship, goods, or merchandise, or to turn pirate or go over to pirates; or
              1. assaults the master or commander of any ship in order to prevent him or her from fighting in defence of his or her ship and goods; or
                1. imprisons or restrains the master or commander of any ship; or
                  1. makes or endeavours to make a revolt in the ship.

                  2. Subsection (1) shall extend and apply to aircraft as it applies to ships; and for the purposes of this subsection any reference in subsection (1) to the master or commander of any ship shall be read as a reference to the pilot in command of an aircraft.

                  Compare
                  • 1908 No 32 s 122