Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Crimes Act 1961

Threatening, conspiring, and attempting to commit offences

307A: Threats of harm to people or property

You could also call this:

“You could get in trouble for saying or writing things that might scare people or cause big problems in New Zealand.”

You can go to prison for up to 7 years if you do certain things without a good reason. These things include:

Making threats to do something that could cause harm to people or property.

Sharing false information about an act that could cause harm to people or property.

To be guilty of this crime, you must intend to cause a big disruption to:

The normal activities of people in New Zealand.

Important facilities or services in New Zealand.

The way New Zealand is run by the government or other organisations.

Business activities in New Zealand.

The harm you threaten or lie about must be serious. It could be:

Putting people’s health at risk.

Causing a lot of damage to property.

Making people lose a lot of money.

Causing big problems for New Zealand’s economy.

It’s important to know that just because you take part in a protest, share your opinions, or go on strike, it doesn’t mean you’ve committed this crime. There needs to be more evidence than that.

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 It might be out of date or be missing some parts.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=DLM330790.

Topics:
Crime and justice > Criminal law
Rights and equality > Anti-discrimination
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“If you tell someone you'll wreck their stuff or hurt their pet, even as a joke, you could get in big trouble.”

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308: Threatening acts in relation to dwellinghouses and persons in dwellinghouses, or

“Breaking or threatening someone's home, or scaring people inside, is against the law.”

Part 11 Threatening, conspiring, and attempting to commit offences

307AThreats of harm to people or property

  1. Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years if, without lawful justification or reasonable excuse, and intending to achieve the effect stated in subsection (2), he or she—

  2. threatens to do an act likely to have 1 or more of the results described in subsection (3); or
    1. communicates information—
      1. that purports to be about an act likely to have 1 or more of the results described in subsection (3); and
        1. that he or she believes to be false.

        2. The effect is causing a significant disruption of 1 or more of the following things:

        3. the activities of the civilian population of New Zealand:
          1. something that is or forms part of an infrastructure facility in New Zealand:
            1. civil administration in New Zealand (whether administration undertaken by the Government of New Zealand or by institutions such as local authorities, District Health Boards, or boards of schools):
              1. commercial activity in New Zealand (whether commercial activity in general or commercial activity of a particular kind).

                1. The results are—

                2. creating a risk to the health of 1 or more people:
                  1. causing major property damage:
                    1. causing major economic loss to 1 or more persons:
                      1. causing major damage to the national economy of New Zealand.

                        1. To avoid doubt, the fact that a person engages in any protest, advocacy, or dissent, or engages in any strike, lockout, or other industrial action, is not, by itself, a sufficient basis for inferring that a person has committed an offence against subsection (1).

                        Notes
                        • Section 307A: inserted, on , by section 6 of the Crimes Amendment Act (No 2) 2003 (2003 No 105).
                        • Section 307A(2)(c): amended, on , by section 668 of the Education and Training Act 2020 (2020 No 38).