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Question Details: I have received an email where a person within a local authority, on making an application for funds, states "I may have to fudge the minutes [of a meeting]". Would an offence have been committed by this person if it were proven that minutes were actually altered?
Filed under Criminal Law | 1527 View(s)
Community Law Wellington & Hutt Valley
Yes, it is an offence under the Public Records Act 2005 to 'fudge the minutes' of a local authority meeting.
The Public Records Act requires that local authorities must create and maintain full and accurate records of all their affairs, including meeting minutes. It is an offence to deliberately or recklessly fail to do this (including by 'fudging the minutes' of a meeting), and the person responsible is liable to pay up to $5,000.
For further information on how to comply with this obligation, see the information offered by Archives New Zealand here: archives.govt.nz
Answered 20 Dec 2012. The IMPORTANT NOTICE below is part of this answer.
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