Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Crimes Act 1961

Threatening, conspiring, and attempting to commit offences

306: Threatening to kill or do grievous bodily harm

You could also call this:

“Making threats to seriously hurt or kill someone is against the law.”

If you threaten to kill someone or cause them serious harm, you are breaking the law. This includes saying you will hurt someone or sending them a letter or message that threatens to kill or seriously harm them. You can go to prison for up to 7 years if you do this.

The law also covers situations where you know what a threatening letter or message says, and you send it or make sure someone else gets it. Even if you didn’t write the threat yourself, you can still be punished if you knowingly pass it on to others.

Remember, making threats like this is a serious crime, no matter how you do it. The law treats threats to kill or cause serious harm very seriously to keep everyone safe.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM330785.

Topics:
Crime and justice > Criminal law
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Part 11 Threatening, conspiring, and attempting to commit offences

306Threatening to kill or do grievous bodily harm

  1. Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years who—

  2. threatens to kill or do grievous bodily harm to any person; or
    1. sends or causes to be received, knowing the contents thereof, any letter or writing containing any threat to kill or do grievous bodily harm to any person.

      1. Repealed
      Compare
      • 1908 No 32 s 342
      • 1941 No 10 Schedule
      Notes
      • Section 306(2): repealed, on , by section 164(b) of the Sentencing Act 2002 (2002 No 9).