Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill
This bill brings back a 'three strikes' rule for serious crimes. If someone is convicted of a serious violent or sexual offence three times, they face much harsher punishments. The first conviction gets a warning. The second means prison with no chance of early release. The third means the maximum prison sentence, also with no early release. Judges can only give a lighter sentence if following the rule would be extremely unfair. Previous strike warnings from before 2022 can also count under the new rules.
What this affects
Tap a topic to see how this bill touches it — with the parts of the text it’s based on.
People convicted of serious violent or sexual crimes multiple times will face mandatory longer prison sentences with no chance of early release
The court must order that the offender serve the sentence without parole unless the court is satisfied that, given the circumstances of the offence and the offender, it would be manifestly unjust to make the order (section 86O(2))
The court must ... sentence the offender to imprisonment for ... the maximum term of imprisonment prescribed for the offence, if the offence is not manslaughter and the offender did not plead guilty to the offence (section 86R(2)(a))
The bill provides for a 3-stage regime of escalating penalties for repeat serious violent and sexual offenders ... cover 42 qualifying offences, which are most of the serious violent and sexual offences in the Crimes Act
Progress through Parliament
Have your say
Submissions open once a bill reaches the select committee stage. In the meantime, you can write to your local MP about it.
Write to your MPBill text sourced from legislation.govt.nz (Parliamentary Counsel Office). Arapono’s summary and breakdown are drafted with AI grounded in that official text and reviewed by an Arapono editor for accuracy and neutrality before publishing. Arapono is non-partisan and takes no position on this bill.