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Part 9 - Production orders  
This chapter contains these topics: 
Summary  
About production orders  
Applying for a production order 
Issuing production orders  
Executing production orders 
Document retention and reporting 
 
  
This is an uncontrolled document printed for reference only. 
The controlled document can be found in the Police Instructions site which is accessible via the New Zealand Police Intranet. 
 
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Summary  
Purpose  
This chapter provides information about production orders including: 
•  the effect of the orders and how they relate to other powers  
•  who may apply 
•  whose authorisation is required before applying  
•  the conditions to be met before applications can be made and orders issued or made 
•  the procedures for making applications 
•  the form and content of orders 
•  what can be done with documents seized under a production order 
•  requirements for reporting and document retention. 
 
Definitions  
This table details the meanings of terms used in this chapter.  
Term Meaning 
Call associated data 
Call associated data has the same meaning as in section 3(1) 
of the Telecommunication (Interception Capability) Act 2004. 
Document 
Document includes call associated data and the content of 
telecommunications in respect of which, at the time an 
application is made under section 71 for a production order 
against a network operator, the network operator has storage 
capability for, and stores in the normal course of its business, 
that data and content. 
 
Related information 
See also: 
•  Offences relating to orders in Part 1: Search introduction 
•  Part 10 - Examination orders  
This is an uncontrolled document printed for reference only. 
The controlled document can be found in the Police Instructions site which is accessible via the New Zealand Police Intranet. 
 
 
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About production orders  
What are production orders?  
Production orders are orders made under section 74 of the Search and Surveillance Act 
2012 requiring a person or organisation (such as a business) to produce documents to 
enforcement agencies as evidential material of a specified offence. 
 
Production orders are issued by issuing officers. (These are the same people as for 
search warrants).  
 
Production order versus search warrant 
You have the choice whether a standard search warrant or production order should be 
sought for use in any given case. While compliance costs are incurred by a business 
issued with a production order, these costs are offset against the avoidance of the 
disruption that would otherwise occur by physical entry and search of the premises 
under a search warrant. Very often production order powers will be less intrusive and 
involve less cost, than using search warrants as an alternative. 
 
Duration of production order 
A production order is in force for the period specified in the order (not exceeding 30 days 
after the date on which the order is made). 
(s76). 
  
This is an uncontrolled document printed for reference only. 
The controlled document can be found in the Police Instructions site which is accessible via the New Zealand Police Intranet. 
 
 
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Applying for a production order 
Who may apply? 
Any constable may apply to an issuing officer for a production order. (See further 
information about making applications in this chapter).  
 
Approval to apply 
You must seek prior approval from your district approver (word document, 69 KB) before 
making an application involving call associated data information. (New Zealand Police 
has agreed protocols with Telcos for obtaining call data information. See Telecom 
inquiries and the Vodafone Protocol in the Police Manual). 
 
If your application relates to a news media organisation, you must: 
•  obtain approval from a Police Executive member in the case of PNHQ or a district 
commander for a district matter, and  
•  follow the guidance on Search warrants involving media organisations in "Carrying out 
search powers with or without a warrant".    
 
In all other cases, obtain written authority to make an application for a production order 
from a constable of or above the position level of sergeant where practicable.  
 
Requests from other agencies for Police to apply 
Other agencies with investigative functions but without enforcement powers may request 
Police to obtain and execute a production order on their behalf. In these cases, follow 
the procedures in the Search warrants chapter > Applying for search warrants > 
Requests from other agencies for Police to make application. 
 
Grounds for applying for a production order  
You may apply for a production order if you have reasonable grounds to: 
•  suspect that an offence has been, is being, or will be committed (it must be an 
offence for which you could apply for a search warrant), and 
•  believe that the documents sought by the proposed order: 
-  constitute evidential material in respect of the offence, and 
-  are in the possession or under the control of the person against whom the order is 
sought, or will come into their possession, or under their control while the order is 
in force. 
(s72) 
 
How to apply 
You must apply for a production order in writing along with a personal appearance 
before, or oral communication with, the issuing officer unless it is impracticable to do so 
in the circumstances. In this situation you may apply to: 
•  make an application orally, e.g. by telephone or personal appearance, or 
•  have your application considered without a personal appearance or oral 
communication.  
(ss73) & 100) 
 
All applications for production orders must be made using prescribed forms available in 
Police Forms > Search and Surveillance > Production Orders.  
 
Oral applications for a production order 
An issuing officer may allow an application for a production order to be made orally (e.g. 
by telephone or by personal appearance) and excuse the applicant from putting all or 
part of the application in writing if satisfied that: 
This is an uncontrolled document printed for reference only. 
The controlled document can be found in the Police Instructions site which is accessible via the New Zealand Police Intranet. 
 
 
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•  requiring a written application would result in a delay that would compromise the 
effectiveness of the search, and 
•  the question of whether the order should be issued can be properly determined on the 
basis of an oral communication or personal appearance, and 
•  all required information is supplied to them (orally, or partly orally and partly in 
writing). 
(s100) 
 
If an oral application is allowed: 
•  the issuing officer must record the grounds for the application as soon as practicable 
•  the applicant must complete: 
-  the application form capturing the information conveyed to the issuing officer as 
soon as practicable and in any event within 24 hours, and 
-  the order. 
(s100) 
 
Applications without personal appearance or oral communication  
An issuing officer may allow an application for a production order without a personal 
appearance or oral communication if satisfied that: 
•  the question of whether the order should be issued can be properly determined on the 
basis of the applicant's written communication, and 
•  the information required for the application has been supplied to the issuing officer, 
and 
•  there is no need to ask any questions of, or seek any further information from, the 
applicant. 
(ss73 & 100) 
 
Information required in production order applications 
Applications for a production order must include: 
•  the applicant's name  
•  the provision authorising the making of an application for a search warrant in respect 
of the suspected offence 
•  a description of the offence that it is suspected has been, is being or will be 
committed 
•  the facts relied on to show reasonable grounds to suspect an offence has been, is 
being or will be committed 
•  a description of the documents for which production is sought 
•  the facts relied on to show reasonable grounds to believe the documents sought are in 
the possession or under the control of the person against whom the order is sought 
•  whether the person should be required to produce those documents that are in their 
possession or under their control when the order is made: 
-  on one occasion only, or 
-  on an ongoing basis (i.e. at the time the order is made and which come into their 
possession or under their control at any time while the order is in force). 
 (s71(2)) 
 
Using hearsay evidence 
Hearsay evidence can be used to outline the grounds on which the application is made, if 
it is highly reliable. Indicate its reliability by stating: 
•  the informant's credibility 
•  the informant's reliability and whether they have given reliable information in the 
past. An appropriate way to say this is: "In the past, Informant A has supplied Police 
with information that has proved to be reliable." 
•  whether the information has been confirmed by other means.  
 
This is an uncontrolled document printed for reference only. 
The controlled document can be found in the Police Instructions site which is accessible via the New Zealand Police Intranet. 
 
 
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If further information about an informant is required 
Follow these steps relating to informant information if you are required to supply further 
information concerning the grounds on which the order is sought. 
Step Action 

Do not name a confidential informant in the application or include any 
information that could lead to their identification. 

Explain to the issuing officer that you do not want the identity of the 
informant revealed. 

While an issuing officer may require you to supply further information 
concerning the grounds on which the order is sought, they must not, in any 
circumstances, require you to disclose the name, address, or other identifying 
detail of an informant unless, and only to the extent, that such information is 
necessary for them to assess: 
•  the credibility of the informant, and/or 
•  whether there is a proper basis for issuing the order. 

Note current Police guidance on providing sufficient information to judges 
issuing warrants about informants is contained in Law Notes issued in respect 
of R v Williams [2007] NZCA 52 (see Law Notes - 30 May 2007) and R v 
Dunedin District Court, so the warrant issuer can assess reliability. 

Be prepared to withdraw any production order application if the issuing officer 
demands details that identify the informant. 
 
Which issuing officers should you approach? 
Always check the current list of authorised issuing officers in your district as they will 
change from time to time. 
 
It is recommended that an issuing officer from a District or High Court is selected 
depending on where resultant proceedings are likely to be heard. If outside court hours 
or no court is available, take the application to another issuing officer. 
This is an uncontrolled document printed for reference only. 
The controlled document can be found in the Police Instructions site which is accessible via the New Zealand Police Intranet. 
 
 
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Issuing production orders  
Who issues production orders? 
An issuing officer (as for search warrants) may make a production order against a 
person if satisfied on application that the grounds for making a production order are 
met. 
(s74) 
  
Form and content of production orders  
A production order must be in the prescribed form and require the person against whom 
it is made (person A): 
•  to give the applicant, or a person identified in the order, any documents described in 
the order that are in their possession or under their control at the time the order is 
made or at any time while the order is in force, and 
•  if any of those documents are not, or are no longer, in the possession or under the 
control of person A, to disclose, to the best of their knowledge or belief, the 
documents' location to the applicant or person identified in the order. 
 
The production order must set out: 
•  the name of person A 
•  the grounds on which the order is made 
•  the documents required to be given 
•  whether the documents must be produced on one occasion only, or on an ongoing 
basis for the duration of the entire order 
•  the time by which, and the way in which, the documents must be produced. 
 
The production order may describe the documents required to be given by reference to a 
class or category of document. 
 
Note: If the production order is made against a body corporate or an unincorporated 
body, the order may specify an individual (by name or by reference to a position held in 
the body) who is to comply with the order as the body’s representative. 
(s75) 
 
This is an uncontrolled document printed for reference only. 
The controlled document can be found in the Police Instructions site which is accessible via the New Zealand Police Intranet. 
 
 
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Executing production orders 
Execution without being in possession of the order 
If it is not possible or practicable to have the production order in your possession when 
executing the order you may execute instead: 
•  a facsimile or a printout of an electronically generated copy of the order  
•  a copy made by the person to whom the order is directed, at the direction of the 
issuing officer and endorsed to that effect. 
(ss77 and 105) 
 
Documents produced under production order 
If any document is produced in compliance with an order, you may do one or more of 
the following: 
•  retain the original document if it is relevant to the investigation. In this situation you 
must, as soon as practicable, give a copy to the person who produced it 
•  take copies of the document, or of extracts from it 
•  if necessary, require the person producing the document to reproduce, or to assist 
any person nominated by the Commissioner or their delegate to reproduce, in usable 
form, any information recorded or stored in the document. 
(ss78 & 79) 
 
Custody of produced things 
See Part 12: Procedures applying to seized and produced things chapter for information 
about: 
•  the custody of produced things  
•  obtaining access to or the release of produced things 
•  when ownership is disputed  
•  return and disposal of produced things. 
 
Responding to an assertion of privilege  
See Privilege relating to production and examination orders in Part 13: Privilege and 
immunities under the Act.  
 
When are orders invalid? 
A production order is invalid if: 
•  having regard to the information in the application, the grounds for lawful issue of the 
order were not satisfied at the time of issue  
•  the order contains a defect, irregularity, omission, or want of form that is likely to 
mislead anyone executing or affected by the order as to its purpose or scope. 
 
If an order is invalid, neither section 204 of the Summary Proceedings Act 1957 nor 
section 379 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011 applies to that order. 
(s107) 
 
 
  
This is an uncontrolled document printed for reference only. 
The controlled document can be found in the Police Instructions site which is accessible via the New Zealand Police Intranet. 
 
 
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Document retention and reporting  
Retention of documents 
When a production order is issued, the applicant
must retain... 
until the later of the following... 
whether in electronic form or otherwise: 
•  the date of completion of any 
•  the order 
proceedings in which the validity of the 
•  a copy of the application (if made in 
order may be in issue, or 
written form) 
•  the date of destruction or transfer of 
•  copies all documents tendered in 
the order and other documents under 
support of the application 
the Public Records Act 2005 or any 
other enactment or rule of law. 
(ss73(2)(d) & 101) 
 
Reporting of production orders  
There are no reporting requirements for production orders.  
 
 
This is an uncontrolled document printed for reference only. 
The controlled document can be found in the Police Instructions site which is accessible via the New Zealand Police Intranet. 
 
 
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