New Zealand Legislation: Acts

14 Officer may obtain search warrant

• (1) Where any Justice of the Peace or Community Magistrate or District Court Judge is satisfied on oath that there is probable cause to suspect—

  • (a) That any breach of this Act or of any regulations made under it has been or is being committed; or

  • (b) That preparation has been made to commit such a breach,—

  the Justice or Community Magistrate or District Court Judge may, by warrant under his hand, authorise an Officer named in the warrant together with such assistants as may be necessary to enter and search the dwellinghouse, place, vehicle, vessel, aircraft, or hovercraft that is mentioned in the warrant, by force if necessary, at the time or times that are so mentioned. Every warrant shall continue in force until the purpose for which it was issued has been satisfied.

  (2) It is the duty of every one executing a warrant under this section to have it with him and to produce it if required to do so.

  Subsection (1) was amended, as from 30 June 1998, by section 7 District Courts Amendment Act 1998 (1998 No 76), by inserting the words “or Community Magistrate”.

  The words “District Court Judge” have been substituted, as from 1 April 1980, for the word “Magistrate” pursuant to section 18 District Courts Amendment Act 1979 (1979 No 125).