Evidence Act 2006

55 Privilege and solicitors’ trust accounts

(1)

This section applies to documents that are books of account or accounting records kept—

(a)

by a solicitor in relation to any trust account money that is subject to section 112 of the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006; or

(b)

by a nominee company that—

(i)

is subject to practice rules made by the Council of the New Zealand Law Society pursuant to section 96 of the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006; and

(ii)

is operated by a barrister and solicitor or an incorporated law firm as a nominee in respect of securities and documents of title held for clients.

(2)

Section 54 does not prevent, limit, or affect—

(a)

the issue by a District Court Judge of a search warrant under section 198 of the Summary Proceedings Act 1957 in respect of a document to which this section applies; or

(b)

the execution of that warrant in respect of a document to which this section applies; or

(c)

the admissibility, in a criminal proceeding for an offence described in the warrant, of any evidence that relates to the contents of a document obtained under the warrant.