Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Crimes Act 1961

Crimes against the person - Assaults and injuries to the person

201: Infecting with disease

You could also call this:

“Making someone sick on purpose is against the law and can lead to jail time.”

If you make someone sick on purpose, without a good reason, you can go to prison for up to 14 years. This means that if you knowingly cause another person to get a disease or illness, and you don’t have a legal excuse for doing so, you’re breaking the law. The court takes this very seriously, which is why the punishment can be quite long.

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 It might be out of date or be missing some parts.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=DLM329704.

Topics:
Crime and justice > Criminal law
Previous

200: Poisoning with intent, or

“Giving someone harmful stuff to make them very sick or upset is against the law and can get you in big trouble.”

Next

202: Setting traps, etc, or

“It's against the law to set up dangerous traps that could hurt people.”

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

201Infecting with disease

  1. Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 14 years who, wilfully and without lawful justification or excuse, causes or produces in any other person any disease or sickness.

  2. Repealed
Notes
  • Section 201(2): repealed, on , by section 164(b) of the Sentencing Act 2002 (2002 No 9).