Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Privacy Act 2020

Access to and correction of personal information - Access to personal information

51: Security, defence, international relations as reason for refusing access to personal information

You could also call this:

“Personal information can be withheld if sharing it might affect national security or foreign relations”

You might not be able to see your personal information if sharing it could cause problems for New Zealand’s safety or relationships with other countries. An agency can say no to giving you your information if it might:

Hurt New Zealand’s security, defence, or how it gets along with other countries.

Make other countries or big world groups less likely to share secret information with New Zealand.

Cause issues for the safety of places New Zealand looks after, like the Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau, or the Ross Dependency.

Make it harder for New Zealand to have good relationships with the Cook Islands or Niue.

Cause problems for how the Cook Islands or Niue work with other countries.

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS23395.

Topics:
Rights and equality > Privacy
Government and voting > Government departments
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50: Evaluative material as reason for refusing access to personal information, or

“Access to personal assessments can be denied if promised confidential”

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52: Trade secret as reason for refusing access to personal information, or

“Organisations can refuse access to your personal information if it reveals trade secrets or harms business interests”

Part 4 Access to and correction of personal information
Access to personal information

51Security, defence, international relations as reason for refusing access to personal information

  1. An agency may refuse access to any personal information requested if the disclosure of the information would be likely—

  2. to prejudice the security or defence of New Zealand or the international relations of the Government of New Zealand; or
    1. to prejudice the entrusting of information to the Government of New Zealand on a basis of confidence by—
      1. the Government of any other country or any agency of the Government of any other country; or
        1. any international organisation; or
        2. to prejudice the security or defence of—
          1. the Cook Islands; or
            1. Niue; or
              1. Tokelau; or
                1. the Ross Dependency; or
                2. to prejudice relations between any of the Governments of—
                  1. New Zealand:
                    1. the Cook Islands:
                      1. Niue; or
                      2. to prejudice the international relations of the Government of—
                        1. the Cook Islands; or
                          1. Niue.

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