Summarised by Centrist
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has unveiled a suite of new law-and-order measures targeting shoplifting, violent assaults, and offences against frontline workers.
Shoplifters will soon face on-the-spot infringement notices of up to $1000, with police empowered to issue fines at the scene or later via CCTV footage.
Offenders stealing goods worth less than $500 could be fined $500, while higher-value theft could draw a $1000 penalty.
“Stealing is not okay,” Goldsmith said in Auckland.
The maximum penalty for theft will also increase to one year’s imprisonment for items valued at $2000 or less, and up to seven years for aggravated cases.
At the same time, Goldsmith has introduced a specific offence for so-called “coward punches” (unprovoked, one-punch attacks) with penalties of up to life imprisonment if the victim dies. New charges include:
- Up to 15 years’ imprisonment for grievous bodily harm caused with intent
- Life imprisonment for fatal coward punches
- 8 years’ imprisonment for reckless, non-fatal attacks
New offences also target assaults on first responders and prison officers, expanding protections previously reserved for police.
Maximum sentences range from three to seven years, depending on intent and injury, with the most serious cases added to the Three Strikes regime.
The broader sentencing reforms include:
- A 40% cap on discounts for mitigating factors
- Tighter rules for applying youth or remorse as justification
- A 25% maximum discount for early guilty pleas
- Cumulative sentencing for crimes committed while on bail or parole
Goldsmith said the Government had budgeted $390 million over four years to manage a potential increase in prison numbers.
Read more over at The NZ Herald and MSN
