2 May 2008
Anti-Social Behaviour Orders smack of arbitary punishment
The Green Party has expressed concern about proposals by the Rotorua District Council to introduce British-style
behaviour orders to curb anti-social crimes.
Rotorua District Council wants to ban criminals from the central business district - so is pushing for its proposed
legislation to go before Parliament.
But Greens Justice Spokesman Nandor Tanczos says he is concerned at the arbitary nature of the Anti Social Behaviour
Order proposal and, in addition, believes that a Government member should not be introducing this as a Local Government
Bill.
"It raises a number of important issues and smacks of arbitary punishment. It is not at all clear what standard of proof
is going to be required.
"In Britain many young people have ended up going to prison for breaching the order itself. This has an obvious net
widening effect," Nandor says.
ENDS