Asia & Pacific

New Zealand Toughens Criminal Sentencing as It Aims for 20,000 Fewer Victims by 2029

A NZ First MP said it marked the end of the former Ardern government’s ’soft on crime' approach.
New Zealand Toughens Criminal Sentencing as It Aims for 20,000 Fewer Victims by 2029
Minister Paul Goldsmith speaks during question time at Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, on March 6, 2024. Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images
Rex Widerstrom
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New Zealand’s Justice Minister, Paul Goldsmith, has introduced a slate of new laws to send convicted criminals to jail for longer.

The measures are part of the government’s strategy to achieve 20,000 fewer victims of violent crime and a 15 percent reduction in serious repeat youth offending by 2029.

Rex Widerstrom
Rex Widerstrom
Author
Rex Widerstrom is a New Zealand-based reporter with over 40 years of experience in media, including radio and print. He is currently a presenter for Hutt Radio.