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Summary Offences Act 1981

Relevant information

20A: Unauthorised disclosure of certain relevant information

You could also call this:

"Sharing secret information without permission is against the law"

Illustration for Summary Offences Act 1981

You can get in trouble if you share certain information with others without permission. This information is defined in section 78A(2) of the Crimes Act 1961. You might do this by talking to someone or giving them something. You could endanger someone's safety or stop the police from solving crimes if you share this information. You might also hurt the New Zealand economy by sharing secrets about the Government's plans. This can include things like what they plan to do with money or trade with other countries. If you do something wrong, you might not be able to be charged with a crime unless the Attorney-General says it's okay. The Attorney-General can look into what happened before deciding what to do. You can still be arrested and held in custody while the Attorney-General is making their decision.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM53565.

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20AUnauthorised disclosure of certain relevant information

  1. Every person commits an offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or to a fine not exceeding $2,000 who knowingly communicates to any other person any relevant information as defined in section 78A(2) of the Crimes Act 1961 (not being relevant information that is publicly available) or delivers to any other person any object as defined in section 78A(2) of the Crimes Act 1961 knowing that he does not have proper authority to effect the communication or delivery and that the communication of that information or the delivery of that object is likely—

  2. to endanger the safety of any person:
    1. to prejudice the maintenance of confidential sources of information in relation to the prevention, investigation, or detection of offences; or
      1. to prejudice the effectiveness of operational plans for the prevention, investigation, or detection of offences or the maintenance of public order, either generally or in a particular case; or
        1. to prejudice the safeguarding of life or property in a disaster or emergency; or
          1. to prejudice the safe custody of offenders or of persons charged with offences; or
            1. to damage seriously the economy of New Zealand by disclosing prematurely decisions to change or continue Government economic or financial policies relating to—
              1. exchange rates or the control of overseas exchange transactions:
                1. the regulation of banking or credit:
                  1. taxation:
                    1. the stability, control, and adjustment of prices of goods and services, rents, and other costs, and rates of wages, salaries, and other incomes:
                      1. the borrowing of money by the Government of New Zealand:
                        1. the entering into of overseas trade agreements.

                        2. No charging document may be filed against any person for—

                        3. an offence against this section; or
                          1. the offence of conspiring to commit an offence against this section; or
                            1. the offence of attempting to commit an offence against this section,—
                                1. except with the consent of the Attorney-General: provided that a person alleged to have committed any offence mentioned in this subsection may be arrested, or a warrant for his arrest may be issued and executed, and any such person may be remanded in custody or on bail, notwithstanding that the consent of the Attorney-General to the filing of a charging document for the offence has not been obtained, but no further or other proceedings shall be taken until that consent has been obtained.

                              1. The Attorney-General may, before deciding whether or not to give his consent under subsection (2), make such inquiries as he thinks fit.

                              Notes
                              • Section 20A: inserted, on , by section 2 of the Summary Offences Amendment Act (No 2) 1982 (1982 No 159).
                              • Section 20A heading: amended, on , by section 17 of the Crimes (Countering Foreign Interference) Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 71).
                              • Section 20A(1): amended, on , by section 17 of the Crimes (Countering Foreign Interference) Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 71).
                              • Section 20A(1)(a): substituted, on , by section 25(1) of the Official Information Amendment Act 1987 (1987 No 8).
                              • Section 20A(1)(f): substituted, on , by section 25(1) of the Official Information Amendment Act 1987 (1987 No 8).
                              • Section 20A(2): amended, on , by section 413 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011 (2011 No 81).
                              • Section 20A(2) proviso: amended, on , by section 413 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011 (2011 No 81).