Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill
This bill proposes to increase the maximum punishments for two specific crimes in New Zealand law: dealing in slaves, and exploiting people under 18 for sexual purposes, removing their body parts, or forcing them into labour. Right now, the maximum prison sentence for these crimes is 14 years. This bill would raise that to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $500,000, or both — matching the punishment that already exists for human trafficking.
What this affects
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The bill raises the maximum prison sentence for slavery and child exploitation offences from 14 years to 20 years, and adds the option of a fine of up to $500,000.
replace 'imprisonment for a term not exceeding 14 years' with 'imprisonment for a term not exceeding 20 years, a fine not exceeding $500,000, or both'
Clause 4 amends section 98 (Dealing in slaves) of the principal Act to increase the penalty for the offence in that section to match the penalty for the offence in section 98D (Trafficking in persons).
Clause 5 amends section 98AA (Dealing in people under 18 for sexual exploitation, removal of body parts, or engagement in forced labour) of the principal Act to increase the penalty for the offence in that section to match the penalty for the offence in section 98D (Trafficking in persons).
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 12 February 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.