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Summary Offences Act 1981

Offences resembling forgery or fraud

20: False claim of qualifications

You could also call this:

"It's against the law to pretend you have qualifications you don't really have."

Illustration for Summary Offences Act 1981

You can get a fine of up to $500 if you use words or letters to make people think you have a degree or certificate that you do not really have. You might do this in your job or business to make yourself sound more important. If you are charged with this, you have to prove that you really do have the degree or certificate. You can also get in trouble if you say you are a member of a group or organisation when you are not. It does not matter if you did not mean to trick anyone or if nobody actually thought you were a member. You still have to prove that you are telling the truth. If you are a doctor, you can call yourself a doctor without getting in trouble. This is because people know that doctors have special training, and it is not the same as having a university degree called 'doctor'.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM53562.

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19: Imitation of official documents, or

"Don't fake official documents or you could get a $500 fine"

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20A: Unauthorised disclosure of certain relevant information, or

"Sharing secret information without permission is against the law"

20False claim of qualifications

  1. Every person is liable to a fine not exceeding $500 who, in connection with his business, trade, calling, or profession, publicly uses any written words, initials, or abbreviation of words intended or likely to cause any person to believe, contrary to the fact, that—

  2. he holds a degree, diploma, or certificate granted or issued by any university or other institution, society, or association, whether in New Zealand or elsewhere; or
    1. he is a member, associate, or fellow of any such institution, society, or association.

      1. In a prosecution under this section the burden of proving that the defendant holds such degree, diploma, or certificate, or is a member, associate, or fellow of any such institution, society, or association, shall be on the defendant.

      2. It is no defence in a prosecution under this section that the words, initials, or abbreviation so used by the defendant do not refer or profess to refer, or were not understood by any person to refer, to any particular or actual university, institution, society, or association.

      3. For the purposes of this section, the use of the word doctor by a medical practitioner shall not in itself be deemed to indicate or to be likely to cause other persons to believe that the medical practitioner holds the degree of doctor in any university.

      Compare
      • 1927 No 35 s 22(1)–(4)
      • 1967 No 154 s 2(1)
      Notes
      • Section 20(4): amended, on , by section 175(1) of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 (2003 No 48).