Parliament Act 2025

Parliamentary security - Powers and duties of parliamentary security officers - Powers to detain person

180: Power to detain person

You could also call this:

"When can a parliamentary security officer stop and hold you for a short time?"

You can be detained by a parliamentary security officer if you are in a situation where section 178(2)(a) or section 179(2) or (4)(b) applies to you. You can be held for up to 4 hours. The officer must contact the Police and keep you safe until they arrive. The parliamentary security officer will ask the Police to come and see you. They will keep you in a safe place until the Police arrive. If the Police want to arrest you, the officer will hand you over to them. The parliamentary security officer can tell you what to do or not to do if they think it is necessary to keep you or others safe. They must have a good reason for giving you these instructions. The officer's main goal is to ensure everyone's safety.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS918283.

This page was last updated on 25 December 2025 — View changes

Topics:

Crime and justice > Police and safetyGovernment and voting > Government departments

179: When power to detain person may be exercised, or

"When can a parliamentary security officer stop and hold you?"

181: Power to use handcuffs, or

"When parliamentary security can use handcuffs on you"

Part 7Parliamentary security
Powers and duties of parliamentary security officers: Powers to detain person

180Power to detain person

A parliamentary security officer may detain a person if either of the following circumstances applies:
section 178(2)(a) (which relates to when the power to detain a person in relation to a seized item may be exercised) applies in respect of the person:
section 179(2) or (4)(b) (which relates to when the power to detain a person in other circumstances may be exercised) applies in respect of the person.

The person may be detained for a reasonable period not exceeding 4 hours.
The parliamentary security officer must—
promptly contact the Police to arrange the attendance of a Police officer; and
if it is reasonably practicable to do so, detain the person in a safe place until the Police officer arrives or the parliamentary security officer is satisfied that the person is not going to be arrested; and
if—
1. a Police officer wants to arrest the person, transfer the person to the Police officer; or
2. if no Police officer wants to arrest the person, free the person.

A parliamentary security officer may direct a detained person to do or not to do a thing if the parliamentary security officer believes on reasonable grounds that the direction is necessary in the circumstances for the purpose of ensuring the safety of the person or the parliamentary security officer or any other person.

Compare

1999 No 115 s 20