The Government is listening to New Zealanders and Cabinet has agreed to recommend modifications to the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee said.

“This Government is committed to restoring law and order. The Bill to reinstate the Three Strikes law makes it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not acceptable in our society,” McKee said.

Cabinet has agreed to modify the Bill by lowering the qualifying sentence threshold so that more offenders will be captured by the regime; and reactivating warnings from the previous regime where they meet this threshold.

“We have listened to submitters through the select committee process, many of whom have identified areas where the Bill can be changed to deter repeat offenders and protect victims," McKee said.

“Originally the Bill set the threshold for triggering the regime at more than 24 months imprisonment across the board. While the qualifying sentence exists to ensure severe penalties are reserved for serious cases, we agree with submitters that this was set too high and are lowering it to make sure that offenders face appropriate consequences for serious violent and sexual offending."

McKee said Cabinet is proposing that the qualifying sentence threshold will be reduced to more than 12 months imprisonment at the first strike. As a result, more offenders will face stiffer penalties if they go on to commit serious crimes.

The threshold will remain at more than 24 months imprisonment at strikes two and three to ensure that the resulting stiffer penalties are reserved for more serious offending, as is the intention of the Three Strikes regime.

“We are also making sure that those who received strike warnings under the previous regime for offending which meets the qualifying threshold will keep these warnings going into the new regime. Those who were warned under the previous regime will face consequences if they continue to offend," McKee said.

The previous three strikes law was introduced in the Sentencing and Parole Reform Act 2010 and repealed in 2022.  The Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill will reinstate the Three Strikes law, with changes to make it more workable.

“The Coalition Government is committed to restoring law and order by enforcing tougher consequences for the worst criminals and keeping them off the street. Everyone in New Zealand has the right to feel safe in their homes, businesses, and communities," said McKee.

“We have listened to New Zealanders impacted by serious offending, and we are sending a strong message that repeat offending will not be tolerated.”