New Zealand strengthens criminal justice system

Wellington: The New Zealand government is strengthening the criminal justice system and reforming sentencing to ensure criminals face serious consequences for their acts and the victims are prioritised.

"In recent years, there has been a concerning trend where the courts have imposed fewer and shorter prison sentences despite a 33-percent increase in violent crime," Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said on Wednesday.

Public confidence in the ability of the court sentencing system to deter and denounce offending has diminished, Goldsmith said, adding victims are the priority of the government rather than offenders, Xinhua news agency reported.

The upcoming reforms will strengthen the criminal justice system by capping the sentence discounts that judges can apply at 40 per cent when considering mitigating factors unless it would result in manifestly unjust sentencing outcomes, he said.

The reforms will also prevent repeat discounts for youth and remorse, the minister said, adding lenient sentences are failing to deter offenders who continue to rely on their youth or expressions of remorse without making serious efforts to reform their behaviour.

"Judges will, of course, continue to have discretion to consider the individual circumstances of each case to ensure sentencing does not lead to manifestly unjust outcomes," he said.

Besides these measures to restore law and order, the government is also delivering 500 additional police and giving them more powers to go after criminal gangs, speeding up court processes, and establishing military-style academies for serious young offenders, among others.