Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Crimes Act 1961

Crimes against the person - Assaults and injuries to the person

198: Discharging firearm or doing dangerous act with intent

You could also call this:

“Shooting, placing explosives, or setting fires to seriously hurt someone is against the law.”

If you want to hurt someone badly, you can get in big trouble with the law. You might have to go to jail for up to 14 years if you do any of these things:

You shoot a gun or something like a gun at a person.

You send someone something that could explode or hurt them, or you put something like that in a place where it could harm people.

You set fire to things that belong to other people.

Even if you don’t mean to hurt someone really badly, but you do one of these things just to cause some harm or without thinking about how it might hurt others, you can still get in trouble. You might have to go to jail for up to 7 years.

Remember, these are very serious actions that can hurt people and damage things. It’s important to be safe and kind to others.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM329389.

Topics:
Crime and justice > Criminal law
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197: Disabling, or

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

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198A: Using any firearm against law enforcement officer, etc, or

“You can get in big trouble for using a gun against a police officer or to avoid being arrested.”

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

198Discharging firearm or doing dangerous act with intent

  1. Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 14 years who, with intent to do grievous bodily harm,—

  2. discharges any firearm, airgun, or other similar weapon at any person; or
    1. sends or delivers to any person, or puts in any place, any explosive or injurious substance or device; or
      1. sets fire to any property.

        1. Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years who, with intent to injure, or with reckless disregard for the safety of others, does any of the acts referred to in subsection (1).

        2. Repealed
        Compare
        • 1908 No 32 ss 197(b), (c), (d), 198
        • 1941 No 10 Schedule
        Notes
        • Section 198(3): repealed, on , by section 164(b) of the Sentencing Act 2002 (2002 No 9).