A member's bill amending the Military Decorations and Distinctive Badges Act 1918. The Act's financial penalty for misrepresenting military honours is outdated and unlikely to deter offenders, so the bill updates it, consolidates all penalties into section 6, and removes wording implying military service is only for men. It is still before Parliament.
This bill amends the Military Decorations and Distinctive Badges Act 1918. It updates the outdated financial penalty for misrepresenting military honours, which is considered too low to deter offenders, consolidates the penalties into a single section, and removes wording that implies military service is only for men. It is a modernisation of a century-old statute.
Supporters argue that stronger, consolidated penalties better protect the integrity of military honours and that gender-neutral language reflects today's Defence Force. As a largely technical modernisation, discussion tends to focus on whether the updated penalties are proportionate and the drafting clear.
See the Parliament.nz ↗ site for the full bill.