Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Crimes Act 1961

Crimes against the person - Assaults and injuries to the person

196: Common assault

You could also call this:

“Hitting or hurting someone else is against the law and can get you in trouble.”

If you hit, push, or hurt someone in any way, you are committing what’s called a ‘common assault’. This is against the law. If you do this, you could go to jail for up to one year. The law says this applies to anyone who assaults another person. It doesn’t matter who you are or who the other person is; this rule is the same for everyone.

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 It might be out of date or be missing some parts.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=DLM329385.

Topics:
Crime and justice > Criminal law
Previous

195A: Failure to protect child or vulnerable adult, or

“Adults must protect kids and vulnerable people from serious harm, or they could go to jail.”

Next

197: Disabling, or

“Making someone unable to act by knocking them out or making them sleepy on purpose is against the law.”

Part 8 Crimes against the person
Assaults and injuries to the person

196Common assault

  1. Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 1 year who assaults any other person.

Compare
  • 1908 No 32 s 210