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Parliament Act 2025

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

179: When power to detain person may be exercised

You could also call this:

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

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You can be detained by a parliamentary security officer if they think you have committed or are about to commit a specified offence in the parliamentary precincts. The officer can also detain you if you refuse to leave the precincts after being asked to, or if you try to re-enter after being removed. You may be detained if you disobey a direction from a parliamentary security officer to protect someone's safety or security. If a parliamentary security officer thinks your conduct is serious, they might ask you for your name, address, and date of birth, and then contact the Police. You will be asked to give the officer this information, and if you do not, they might detain you using the powers in sections 180 and 181. The officer can use these powers if you still refuse to give them the information. The parliamentary security officer has the power to detain you and use handcuffs, as stated in sections 180(1)(b) and 181, if they think it is necessary. You should be aware that the officer can exercise these powers if you do not follow their directions. The officer's actions will depend on the situation and what they think is best to keep everyone safe.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS964346.

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

179When power to detain person may be exercised

  1. This section applies if a parliamentary security officer has reasonable grounds to believe that a person—

  2. who wants to enter, or is in, the parliamentary precincts may recently have committed a specified offence or may be about to commit a specified offence; or
    1. has—
      1. refused to leave the parliamentary precincts after having been required to do so by a parliamentary security officer or has attempted to re-enter the parliamentary precincts after being removed or denied entry by a parliamentary security officer; and
        1. been warned that they may be detained if they persist with those actions; and
          1. persisted with those actions; or
          2. has refused to obey a direction from a parliamentary security officer to do anything that is reasonably necessary to protect the safety or security of any person in the parliamentary precincts; or
            1. has refused to obey a direction from a parliamentary security officer to stop doing anything that adversely affects the safety or security of any person in the parliamentary precincts.

              1. The parliamentary security officer may exercise the powers in sections 180(1)(b) (which relates to the officer’s power to detain a person) and 181 (which relates to the officer’s power to use handcuffs).

              2. However, if the parliamentary security officer considers that the person’s conduct would more appropriately be referred to a Police officer, the officer may—

              3. ask the person to give the parliamentary security officer the person’s full name, address, and date of birth (the requested information); and
                1. contact the Police to report the person’s conduct.

                  1. If the person does not give the parliamentary security officer the requested information, the officer may—

                  2. warn the person that, if the person fails to give the officer the requested information, the officer may exercise the powers in sections 180 (which relates to the officer’s power to detain a person) and 181 (which relates to the officer’s power to use handcuffs); and
                    1. if the person still does not give the officer the requested information, exercise the powers in sections 180 and 181.

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