Page updated on: Tuesday April 8, 2008
The criminal law is used to describe matters that are prosecuted by state authorities and can result in prosecution and the imposition of a criminal sentence. Most prosecutions are done by the Police but other government agencies such as the Crown Law office, IRD, WINZ, ACC, Fisheries and the Department of Conservation may all be involved in prosecutions against those accused of committing an offence. Information on criminal offending can be obtained at www.justice.govt.nz
The range of statutes that deal with criminal offending include the Crimes Act 1960, the Summary Offences Act 1981, the Land Transport Act 1998 and the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 to name but a few. Information on these statutes can be obtained at www.legislation.govt.nz
This resource gives information on the criminal justice system. It details likely sentences for 20 of the most common criminal offences assuming the defendant is a first time offender and diversion is not available. Click here to download the resource.