Story by The Daily Examiner/ Mike Bain.                Image staged.

The New Zealand government has announced significant changes to its proposed anti-stalking legislation, toughening penalties and expanding protections for victims.

Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith welcomed the modifications, which include a revised threshold for triggering legal action—now set at two specified acts within 24 months.

“This change better recognises patterns in stalking behaviour and the time that can pass between incidents,” Mr Goldsmith said. “For example, stalking that occurs around anniversaries would not have been covered under the original 12-month period.”

The government remains steadfast in its commitment to prioritising victims. “Returning them to the heart of our justice system underpins all our work to restore law and order,” Goldsmith added.

Under the updated law, offenders will face a maximum penalty of five years in prison, reinforcing efforts to impose real consequences on those engaging in stalking and harassment. The reform complements broader sentencing changes set to take effect at the end of the month.

The Justice Committee has introduced several additional measures to strengthen the bill’s effectiveness. These include:

• Addressing the issue of doxing, by criminalising the publication of statements or materials impersonating victims.
• Introducing provisions to dispose of intimate visual recordings held by offenders convicted under the new law.
• Expanding the Firearms Prohibition Orders regime to encompass stalking-related offences.
• Refining aggravating factors to ensure stalking and harassment behaviours are clearly linked to charges.
• Clarifying that restraining orders under the Harassment Act 1997 and orders under the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015 can be applied even when an offender is discharged without conviction.

The strengthened legislation is expected to bolster protections for victims while ensuring offenders face greater accountability for their actions.