New Zealand Acts

CRIMINAL PROCEDURE ACT 2011 - SECT 14

14 Commencement of criminal proceedings

1 A criminal proceeding in respect of an offence is commenced by filing a charging document in the office of the District Court that is—

a) nearest to where the offence is alleged to have been committed; or

b) nearest to where the person filing the charging document believes the defendant can be found.

2 Despite subsection (1),—

a) if all the parties to the proposed proceeding agree, the charging document may be filed in another office of the District Court; and

b) if 2 or more charging documents are to be filed in respect of the same defendant, they may all be filed in an office of the District Court in which any 1 of them could be filed.

3 A failure to file a charging document in the correct office of the District Court in accordance with this section does not invalidate any proceeding.

Note: 1957 No 87 ss 12, 18

History: Section 14(1): amended, on 1 March 2017, by section 261 of the District Court Act 2016 (2016 No 49).   Section 14(2)(a): amended, on 1 March 2017, by section 261 of the District Court Act 2016 (2016 No 49).     Section 14(2)(b): amended, on 1 March 2017, by section 261 of the District Court Act 2016 (2016 No 49).     Section 14(3): amended, on 1 March 2017, by section 261 of the District Court Act 2016 (2016 No 49).