New Zealand Acts

HARASSMENT ACT 1997 - SECT 28

28 Police may release information to enable application for restraining order to be made

1 Where a constable has the name or address, or both, of a person who is alleged to be harassing, or to have harassed, another person, any constable may, at the request of the other person (or, if a representative of the other person has been appointed, at the representative's request), disclose that information to a Registrar of a court at a specified place.

2 Subsection (1) applies whether the information about the alleged harasser was obtained under section 26 or in some other way.

3 If information is disclosed to a Registrar under subsection (1), court staff must treat that information as confidential, and must not disclose the information other than under subsection (4).

4 A Registrar may, on request, disclose the information to the other person or, where applicable, to the other person's representative if, and only if, the Registrar is satisfied that the other person or his or her representative is to apply for—

a) a restraining order against the alleged harasser; or

b) a direction under section 18 in respect of the alleged harasser.

5 For the purposes of this section, an alleged harasser includes a person who is being, or has been, encouraged, by another person, to do a specified act to a person.

History: Section 28(1): amended, on 1 October 2008, pursuant to section 116(a)(ii) of the Policing Act 2008 (2008 No 72).