Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006

Complaints and discipline - Offences

262: Obstruction

You could also call this:

"Blocking People Doing Their Job in the Law"

Illustration for Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006

You commit an offence if you wilfully obstruct or hinder a Standards Committee or investigator doing their job under sections like section 147, section 164, section 169, section 170, section 172, or section 173. You also commit an offence if you obstruct the Legal Complaints Review Officer or their delegate. If you commit this offence, you can be fined up to $25,000.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM367321.

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

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261: Failure to comply with summons, or

"What happens if you don't go to a hearing when you're supposed to"

262A: Offence of breaching suppression order, or

"Breaking a court order to keep information secret can lead to a fine."

Part 7Complaints and discipline
Offences

262Obstruction

Every person commits an offence who wilfully obstructs, hinders, resists, or deceives any Standards Committee, investigator, or other person in the execution of any powers conferred on that Standards Committee, investigator, or other person by section 147 or section 164 or section 169 or section 170 or section 172 or section 173.
Every person commits an offence who wilfully obstructs, hinders, resists, or deceives the Legal Complaints Review Officer, or any person to whom any of the functions and powers of the Legal Complaints Review Officer have been delegated under this Act, in the performance of any of the functions, or the exercise of any of the powers, conferred on the Legal Complaints Review Officer or any such delegate by this Act.
Every person who commits an offence against this section is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $25,000.

Notes

Section 262(3): amended, on 1 July 2013, by section 413 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011 (2011 No 81).