Maritime Transport Act 1994

Miscellaneous provisions applying to this Act generally - Service of documents

458: Service of documents

You could also call this:

"How to give important papers to people or ships"

Illustration for Maritime Transport Act 1994

You can serve documents to someone in several ways. You can give them a copy in person or leave it at their home. If the person is a ship's master, you can leave a copy on the ship with the person in charge. You can also serve documents to a ship's owner or agent in New Zealand. If you cannot find the owner or agent, you can fix a copy to the ship's mast. Documents can also be served in other ways allowed by the Maritime Transport Act or its rules. You must follow the rules when serving documents to ensure they are delivered correctly. This includes explaining the document's nature to the person receiving it, if necessary. The Maritime Transport Act outlines the different methods for serving documents.

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 It might be out of date or be missing some parts.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=DLM338884.

This page was last updated on 4 January 2026 — View changes

Topics:

Transport and travel > BoatingCrime and justice > Courts and legal help

Part 30Miscellaneous provisions applying to this Act generally
Service of documents

458Service of documents

Where for the purposes of this Act any document is to be served on, or any notice, notification, or instructions is or are to be given to, any person, that document may be served and any notice, notification, or instructions may be given,—
in any case, by delivering a copy personally to the person concerned or by leaving a copy at his or her last known place of abode; or
if the person concerned is a master of a ship, where there is a master, or a person belonging to a ship, by leaving a copy for him or her on board the ship with the person appearing to be in command or charge of the ship and explaining to that person the nature of the document, notice, notification, or instructions; or
if the person concerned is a master of a ship, where there is no master and the ship is within the limits or territorial sea of New Zealand, on the owner of the ship resident in New Zealand, on the agent of the ship in New Zealand, or, where no such agent is known or can be found, by fixing a copy to the mast of the ship or (if there is no mast) to some other conspicuous part of the ship; or
in any other manner provided for service of that document, notice, notification, or instruction by this Act or by rules or regulations made under this Act.

Compare

1952 No 49 s 498