The Sensible Sentencing Trust plans to re-activate to strongly oppose the Government’s watered-down Three Strikes sentencing Bill.

Sensible Sentencing Trustee Louise Parsons says: “It is with sadness that we must oppose this weak and watered-down proposed Three Strikes Law. Not only does the Government plan to wipe all 13,000 former strike warnings, it will only apply to 30% of the offender types the earlier version applied to.”

“New Trustees, backed by founders, Garth and Anne McVicar, are pulling together a new campaign team and fundraising to relaunch for the purposes of fighting this law. We need to hold the new Government to their promise to put in place a Three Strikes law that actually means it.”

The Government’s Bill, released today:

• Wipes the strike slate clean for the 13,000 former first, second, and third strike offenders convicted between 2010 and 2022.
• Encourages Judges to impose weaker sentences to avoid the 24 months rule at all three stages of the regime. This undermines the key purpose of Three Strikes: certainty in sentencing.
• The very high 24 month rule wipes out around 70% of the offenders the former regime applied to. Therefore;
• 13,000 first strikers would become less than 4000
• 800 or so second strikers would become less than 300
• 25 Third Strikers would become 7 Third Strikers.

“National and ACT talked a big game on law and order in the 2023 election. One of their key commitments was to restore Three Strikes. National said they would make some changes at the margins. They never said they would eviscerate 70% of it and make it a clean-slate law.” continued Ms Parsons. “During the election campaign, ACT were unequivocal about bringing Three Strikes back.”

“What is proposed is a betrayal to voters who were promised a robust Three Strikes law, not one with no teeth.

When Three Strikes was introduced in 2010 it was intended to ensure Judges could not “game” sentences and avoid applying serious jail terms to serious repeat violent and sexual offenders. Using a minimum qualifying sentence level to fix the weak sentencing practices of Judges is putting the wolves in charge of the hen house. It makes no sense. But the weak and out-of-touch Judiciary will love this weakened version.

“We respectfully call on the Government to withdraw this counterproductive law and start again.” concluded Ms Parsons.

Those wishing to become involved in re-launching the Sensible Sentencing Trust to tackle this issue, and fight for a safer New Zealand, are asked to contact sensiblesentencingtrust@gmail.com

Donations for the re-launch/re-activation of the Sensible Sentencing Trust, can be made to the Trust’s bank account below: Sensible Sentencing Trust, 03-0698-0724579-000

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