Section 53 — Crimes Act 1961: Defence of movable property with claim of right

53 Defence of movable property with claim of right (1) Every one in peaceable possession of any movable thing under a claim of right, and every one acting under his authority, is protected from criminal responsibility for defending his possession by the use of reasonable force, even against a person entitled by law to possession, if he does not strike or do bodily harm to the other person. (2) [Repealed] Compare: 1908 No 32 s 78 Subsection (2) was repealed, as from 1 January 1981, by section 2(2) Crimes Amendment Act 1980 (1980 No 63).