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Summary Offences Act 1981

Offences against public order

8: Publishing document or thing explaining manufacture of explosives, etc

You could also call this:

"Don't publish guides on making explosives or weapons"

Illustration for Summary Offences Act 1981

You can get in trouble if you print or publish something that explains how to make explosives or certain weapons. This includes things like bombs or incendiary devices, which are devices that start fires, or restricted weapons, as defined in section 2 of the Arms Act 1983. You could be fined up to $2,000 or put in prison for up to 3 months. You have a defence if you can prove it was reasonable to print or publish the information.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM53524.

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Topics:
Crime and justice > Criminal law
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8Publishing document or thing explaining manufacture of explosives, etc

  1. Every person is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or a fine not exceeding $2,000 who, for the purposes of sale or distribution to the public, prints or publishes or makes any document or thing (not being a document or thing of a technical, scientific, literary, or artistic character) that describes or depicts the method of manufacture of any explosive device or incendiary device or restricted weapon (within the meaning of section 2 of the Arms Act 1983), or any part of any such device or weapon.

  2. It is a defence in a prosecution under this section if the defendant proves that it was reasonable in all the circumstances to print or publish or make the description or depiction to which the prosecution relates.

Compare
  • 1927 No 35 s 34B
  • 1976 No 157 s 3
Notes
  • Section 8(1): amended, on , by section 2(1) of the Summary Offences Amendment Act 1999 (1999 No 48).
  • Section 8(1): amended, on , by section 7 of the Summary Offences Amendment Act 1997 (1997 No 97).