Passports Act 1992

30 Offences relating to passport information and material

  • (1) Every person commits an offence who knowingly, and without lawful authority or reasonable excuse,—

    • (a) deletes, alters, or copies any information recorded in or on a passport database; or

    • (b) allows any information recorded in or on a passport database to be deleted, altered, or copied; or

    • (c) records any information (whether correct or incorrect) in or on a passport database; or

    • (d) allows any information (whether correct or incorrect) to be recorded in or on a passport database; or

    • (e) takes from where it is officially kept—

      • (i) a New Zealand travel document or a blank or incomplete New Zealand travel document; or

      • (ii) a seal, stamp, or other authenticating device or thing, that he or she knows is specially used by the proper authorities for a purpose relating to New Zealand travel documents; or

      • (iii) any paper or other material that he or she knows is specially provided by the proper authorities for a purpose relating to New Zealand travel documents; or

    • (f) takes from where it is officially kept a file or register in or on which information is or is to be recorded by officers for the purposes of this Act.

    (2) Paragraphs (a) to (d) of subsection (1)—

    • (a) apply to the deletion or alteration of information recorded in an electronic passport database, or the recording of information in an electronic passport database, whether it is achieved—

      • (i) directly; or

      • (ii) by altering or damaging the database, its programming, another device, the programming of another device, or any electronic storage; and

    • (b) apply to the copying of information recorded in an electronic passport database whether it is achieved directly from the database, by means of another device, by the interception or copying of an electronic message, or from any form of electronic storage.

    (3) In subsection (1), passport database means a file, register, or device in or on which information is or is to be recorded by officers for the purposes of this Act.

    (4) Every person who commits an offence against subsection (1) is liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years, a fine not exceeding $250,000, or both.

    Section 30: substituted, on 18 June 2002, by section 9 of the Passports Amendment Act 2002 (2002 No 24).