The bill amends the Sentencing Act to limit the size of sentence reductions judges can give and to change how sentences are structured for offending committed on bail or in custody. It is framed by the Government as part of a wider law-and-order package.
Parliament advanced this bill under urgency (committee of whole house, first reading, third reading) — moving it through faster than usual, with less time than normal for public submissions.
These are claims MPs made in Parliament’s debate — not verified facts.
This bill amends the Sentencing Act 2002 to make sentences tougher and more consistent. Its central change caps the total reduction (discount) a judge can give an offender at 40 percent of the starting sentence, so combined discounts for factors like a guilty plea, remorse or youth cannot exceed that limit. It also restricts some discounts, adds new aggravating factors (circumstances that increase a sentence, such as offending against sole-charge workers), and pushes for cumulative rather than concurrent sentences for crimes committed while on bail or in custody. It affects offenders, judges and victims.
The bill implements a governing-party commitment to restore what supporters call "real consequences" for crime, amid concern that large cumulative discounts made sentences too lenient. Supporters say capping discounts improves consistency and public confidence, and that repeat offending on bail deserves extra punishment. Critics say rigid caps erode judges' discretion to tailor fair sentences, may discourage early guilty pleas (slowing courts and burdening victims), and will likely swell the prison population and costs without clearly cutting crime.
See the Parliament.nz ↗ site for the full bill.