Armed Forces Discipline Act 1971

Offences - Offences involving treachery, cowardice, and looting

29: Offence to create alarm or despondency

You could also call this:

"Spreading false information that scares people during war is against the law"

Illustration for Armed Forces Discipline Act 1971

You can commit an offence if you spread false reports about war. This can be by talking, writing, or signalling, and it must be something that could scare people or make them lose hope. You must know it is false and could cause harm. You can also commit an offence if you say things that could scare people or make them lose hope when you are near the enemy. This can lead to imprisonment for life. The law applies to everyone in the Armed Forces. If you say things that scare people or make them lose hope when you are near the enemy, you can be imprisoned for up to 5 years. This is a serious offence and the law is in place to protect people. You must be careful what you say and do during war.

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 It might be out of date or be missing some parts.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=DLM402399.

This page was last updated on 1 January 2026 — View changes

Topics:

Crime and justice > Criminal law

28: Cowardly behaviour, or

"Running away or not doing your job when facing the enemy is against the law"

30: Offences in relation to capture by the enemy, or

"Breaking rules if captured by the enemy can lead to prison time"

Part 2Offences
Offences involving treachery, cowardice, and looting

29Offence to create alarm or despondency

Every person subject to this Act commits an offence, and is liable to imprisonment for life, who—
spreads (either orally, or by writing or by signal, or by any other means whatsoever) any report relating to any war or warlike operations in which the Armed Forces or any allied forces are engaged which to his knowledge is likely to create despondency or unnecessary alarm amongst any persons (not being the enemy); or
when before the enemy, uses words which to his knowledge are likely to create despondency or unnecessary alarm amongst any persons (not being the enemy).

Every person subject to this Act commits an offence, and is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years, who, when before the enemy, uses words which create or are likely to create despondency or unnecessary alarm amongst any persons (not being the enemy).