Watch live: government announces changes in justice

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Justice Minister Nicole McKee will hold a press conference this afternoon where they will announce changes to the justice system.

This is likely to be a return of the previous National government’s Three Strikes sentencing regime, which was abolished under the last Labor government.

The restoration of Three Strikes was a policy campaigned for in the elections by the coalition parties. The government’s first quarterly action plan pledged to “take decisions to restore Three Strikes.”

The Three Strikes system was implemented in 2010 under the Sentencing and Parole Reform Act. It was a punitive measure against repeat offenders. The law was primarily aimed at serious violent and sexual offenders.

Offenders received three strikes. After conviction for a third serious crime, the offender receives the maximum sentence without parole.

Under the system, the first and second strikes were punished normally. However, on the third offense, the offender faced more severe consequences, regardless of the severity of the third offense. Even if the third offense is relatively minor, the offender will receive the maximum penalty for that offense.

Labor first tried to repeal the law during its first term, but was blocked by NZ First. When the law was repealed in 2022, then Justice Secretary Kiri Allan said it had led to “extremely worrying sentencing outcomes” and that there was “little evidence” it had acted as a deterrent.

Allan said serious and repeat offenders would still be held to account, but discretion would revert to the judiciary.

At the time, National promised it would restore the legislation if elected.

The party’s then spokesman, Paul Goldsmith, said at the time that the aim of the law was to keep those “serious repeat offenders out of traffic for longer to keep the community safe”.

He quoted a submission stating that after ten years, 13,000 people had suffered their first strike.

“If it had no effect, it is surprising that only 640 people had their second strike and only 21 their third strike.

“On average, people who have had three strikes have each committed about 70 violations

“This law is intended to take these third strike offenders out of circulation, reduce the number of victims and give the victims a break. Victims are still afraid to go out at night.”