Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

Court detector uncovers knives

By Imran Ali
Northern Advocate·
5 Dec, 2014 05:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

And most are from potential trial jurors ...

Security officers at Northland courts have seized hundreds of offensive weapons - including concealed blades - mostly from those called for jury service.

Pocket knives are the most common items found, followed by folding knives, scissors and screwdrivers.

Ten pairs of scissors were temporarily confiscated last month alone.

A dagger has also been recovered from a person entering the Whangarei High and District Courts where there is regular security screening of people entering the building.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Ministry of Justice figures reveal 214 items deemed offensive such as credit card-sized, fixed-blade and flick knives, screwdrivers, scissors and daggers were seized in Whangarei's Bank St courthouse between January 2013 and August this year.

The Northern Advocate understands most of the items were confiscated from people summonsed for jury service.

Under the Crimes Act people can be charged with possessing an offensive weapon in a public place, including courts. No one has been charged for that offence in Northland courts and seized weapons were normally returned to their owners.

Metal detectors were first introduced in Whangarei courts in 2006 and an X-ray machine about three years ago.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

They are used from 8.30am to 10.30am daily and between 100 and 200 people use the court on busy days, usually Monday and Wednesday.

There were no security screenings in Kaitaia, Kaikohe and Dargaville courts before September last year.

Only eight offensive weapons have been taken from owners in Kaikohe court and five in Kaitaia so far. None were found on people entering Dargavillle court.

Michael Hubbard, deputy director of courts and judicial security, said if an offensive weapon was found, court security officers had the power to permanently seize the items and detain the person under the Court Security Act.

Police were then called.

"Sometimes items inadvertently brought to the courthouse, such as cutlery, screwdrivers and multitools, are taken into temporary custody and returned to the owners as they leave the court," he said.

Mr Hubbard said knives were the most common offensive weapon detected and during the past two years there had been a rise in the number of people entering court buildings with concealed blades such as credit card knives - knives made from plastic, that fold down to the size of a credit card.

An offensive weapon is defined in the Crimes Act as something that is either made, altered or intended to cause bodily harm.

Court security officers operate under statutory powers granted under the Court Security Act, which include the ability to search and remove people from courts, and detain them for contempt under judicial order or for specific offences. They may use force while detaining people.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate

Driver flees scene after crash into Mangamuka garage

20 May 12:52 AM
Northern Advocate

Great relief: Whangārei teen's Melbourne health trip saved after Jetstar setback

19 May 11:00 PM
Northern Advocate

MP defends against backlash from conservationist over Govt’s changes to Wildlife Act

19 May 08:05 PM

The Hire A Hubby hero turning handyman stereotypes on their head

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

Driver flees scene after crash into Mangamuka garage

Driver flees scene after crash into Mangamuka garage

20 May 12:52 AM

Police say just after 4am a vehicle left State Highway 1 and crashed into a garage.

Great relief: Whangārei teen's Melbourne health trip saved after Jetstar setback

Great relief: Whangārei teen's Melbourne health trip saved after Jetstar setback

19 May 11:00 PM
MP defends against backlash from conservationist over Govt’s changes to Wildlife Act

MP defends against backlash from conservationist over Govt’s changes to Wildlife Act

19 May 08:05 PM
Northland vets warn of botulism risk for dogs in warm months

Northland vets warn of botulism risk for dogs in warm months

19 May 05:00 PM
Gold demand soars amid global turmoil
sponsored

Gold demand soars amid global turmoil

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP