Part 5 s 92
Crimes Act 1961
Version as at
6 November 2021
Piracy
92
Piracy
(1)
Every one who does any act amounting to piracy by the law of nations,
whether that act is done within or outside New Zealand,—
(2)
(a)
shall upon conviction thereof be sentenced to imprisonment for life if, in
committing piracy, he or she murders, attempts to murder, or does any
act likely to endanger the life of any person:
(b)
is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 14 years in any other
case.
Any act that by the law of nations would amount to piracy if it had been done
on the high seas on board or in relation to a ship shall be piracy for the pur‐
poses of this section if it is done on board or in relation to an aircraft, whether
the aircraft is on or above the sea or is on or above the land.
Compare: 1908 No 32 s 121
93
Piratical acts
(1)
Every one commits a piratical act who—
(2)
66
(a)
within New Zealand, or, being a New Zealand citizen or a person ordin‐
arily resident in New Zealand, outside New Zealand, under pretence of
any commission from any State other than New Zealand (whether or not
that State is at war with New Zealand) or under pretence of authority
from any person whatever, commits an act of hostility or robbery:
(b)
within or outside New Zealand, enters into any New Zealand ship and
throws overboard or destroys any goods on board the ship:
(c)
within or outside New Zealand, on board any New Zealand ship—
(i)
turns enemy or rebel and piratically runs away with the ship or
any boat, weapons, ammunition, or goods; or
(ii)
voluntarily yields up the ship or any boat, weapons, ammunition,
or goods to any pirate; or
(iii)
counsels or procures any person to yield up or run away with any
ship, goods, or merchandise, or to turn pirate or go over to pirates;
or
(iv)
assaults the master or commander of any ship in order to prevent
him or her from fighting in defence of his or her ship and goods;
or
(v)
imprisons or restrains the master or commander of any ship; or
(vi)
makes or endeavours to make a revolt in the ship.
Subsection (1) shall extend and apply to aircraft as it applies to ships; and for
the purposes of this subsection any reference in subsection (1) to the master or