This page is about a bill. That means that it's not the law yet, but some people want it to be the law. It could change quickly, and some of the information is just a draft.

Emergency Management Bill (No 2)

Information, enforcement, compensation, appeals, and secondary legislation - Offences

188: Offence involving obstruction

You could also call this:

"Breaking Emergency Rules: Stopping People from Doing Their Job"

Illustration for Emergency Management Bill (No 2)

If you threaten or stop someone from doing their job during a state of emergency, you can get in trouble. You can get in trouble if you stop someone from doing something they are allowed to do under this proposed law. You might have to pay a fine or go to prison if you do this. If you are an individual and you do this, you could go to prison for up to 3 months or have to pay a fine of up to $50,000. If you are not an individual, you could have to pay a fine of up to $150,000. This is what could happen if you break this proposed rule.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS1022589.

This page was last updated on 31 December 2025 — View changes

Topics:

Crime and justice > Police and safetyGovernment and voting > Emergency management

187: Offence involving failure to comply with compliance order, or

"Breaking a compliance order can lead to a big fine."

189: Offence involving personation, or

"Pretending to be someone you're not in an emergency can be a crime"

Part 5Information, enforcement, compensation, appeals, and secondary legislation
Offences

188Offence involving obstruction

A person commits an offence if the person, during a state of emergency or transition period, threatens, or intentionally obstructs or hinders a person in that person’s performance or exercise of a function, duty, or power under this Act.
A person who commits an offence against subsection (1) is liable on conviction,—
in the case of an individual, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or to a fine not exceeding $50,000:
in any other case, to a fine not exceeding $150,000.

Compare

2002 No 33 s 98