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Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act 2021

Fees, offences and penalties, regulations, and other miscellaneous provisions - Offences

139: Offences relating to registry

You could also call this:

"Breaking Registry Rules is Against the Law"

Illustration for Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act 2021

You can commit an offence if you have control of a device with registered information and you delete or alter the information without a Registrar's consent. You can also commit an offence if you allow someone to delete or alter the information, or if you store incorrect information on the device. A Registrar can commit an offence if they do not follow the rules when dealing with registered information. You can be liable for imprisonment or a fine if you commit an offence against this section. The punishment depends on the type of offence you commit. A Registrar is a person who is in charge of keeping records, and this includes the Registrar-General and Deputy Registrar-General. If you are a Registrar, you must be careful when handling documents with registered information. You can commit an offence if you lose or damage a document, or if you allow it to be damaged. You must follow the rules to avoid committing an offence.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM7273802.

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Part 6Fees, offences and penalties, regulations, and other miscellaneous provisions
Offences

139Offences relating to registry

  1. A person (other than a Registrar) with control of or access to a device on which registered information is stored electronically commits an offence if the person knowingly and without the consent of a Registrar (whether directly or by alteration of or damage to the device, its programming, any other device, the programming of any other device, or any electronic storage medium)—

  2. deletes or alters any information stored on the device; or
    1. allows any information stored on the device to be deleted or altered; or
      1. stores any information (whether correct or incorrect) on the device; or
        1. allows any information (whether correct or incorrect) to be stored on the device.

          1. A Registrar commits an offence if the Registrar—

          2. knowingly (whether directly or by alteration of or damage to the device, its programming, any other device, the programming of any other device, or any electronic storage medium) does any of the following otherwise than in accordance with this Act:
            1. deletes or alters any registered information that is stored electronically on any device:
              1. allows any registered information that is stored electronically on any device to be deleted or altered:
                1. stores any information (whether correct or incorrect) on a device on which registered information is stored electronically by or on behalf of the Registrar-General:
                  1. allows any information (whether correct or incorrect) to be stored on a device on which registered information is stored electronically by or on behalf of the Registrar-General; or
                  2. negligently loses or damages a document containing information recorded under this Act, or any part of such a document; or
                    1. negligently allows it to be damaged; or
                      1. negligently does any act referred to in paragraph (a).

                        1. A person who commits an offence against subsection (1) or (2)(a) is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years.

                        2. A Registrar who commits an offence against subsection (2)(b), (c), or (d) is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000.

                        3. For the purposes of this section, a Registrar includes the Registrar-General and every Deputy Registrar-General.

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