Summary Offences (Demonstrations Near Residential Premises) Amendment Bill
This bill makes it a crime to take part in a protest near someone's home if the protest is aimed at a person who lives there and is causing unreasonable disruption. If found guilty, a person could face up to three months in prison or a fine of up to $2,000. Courts would look at things like the time of day, how long the protest went on, how loud it was, and how close protesters were to the home when deciding if the disruption was unreasonable.
What this affects
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The bill creates a new criminal offence for taking part in a protest near someone's home that is aimed at a resident and causes unreasonable disruption, with penalties of up to three months in prison or a $2,000 fine.
A person (P) commits an offence if P engages, or continues to engage, in a demonstration near any residential premises... that is directed at any regular occupant of those premises... P knows, or ought to know, is causing an unreasonable disruption in relation to those premises.
A person who commits an offence against this section is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or a fine not exceeding $2,000.
In determining whether a disruption in relation to any residential premises is unreasonable, the court must have regard to all relevant circumstances, including the time of day, duration, actions of the demonstrators, the level of noise, the distance between the demonstrators and those premises, and the nature of the use being made of those premises during the disruption.
Progress through Parliament
Have your say
This bill is open for public submissions to the Justice Committee. Anyone can tell the committee what they think, and you don’t need to be an expert. Submissions close 5 October 2025.
Bill 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.