Police Minister Mark Mitchell spoke on behalf of the Justice Minister during the third reading last night. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
Parliament has unanimously passed legislation that will ensure the courts cannot issue a permanent name suppression order for an adult convicted of a sexual offence, unless the victim agrees to it.
The Victims of Sexual Violence Bill had its third reading late on Wednesday night.
It also amends the law so that children under the age of 12 will not be able to be questioned about whether they consented to sex.
The Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said this made it crystal clear children could not consent to abuse.
New Zealand was now moving into line with many other countries in outlawing it.
"It was well overdue and needed to be done."
The law further closes what Goldsmith said was a legislative gap, by ensuring the victims of all sexual crimes, including intimate visual recordings offences, were automatically given name suppression.
"These changes will help ensure victims of sexual violence and their needs are returned to the heart of the justice system. We've been clear from day one that victims are our priority as we work to restore law and order," Goldsmith said in a media release.
He said at present victims' views on suppression only had to be taken into account by the courts.
Paul Goldsmith Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
Long battles over name suppression retraumatised victims, as did the inability to discuss what happened to them and to warn others.
Goldsmith told Morning Report he was concerned about people who had gone through the court process and then found there was a permanent name suppression for an offender and there was no opportunity to talk about their experience and most importantly, warn others.
"We're talking about people who have been convicted of sexual crimes and they need to be named and held to account."
While the legal profession had expressed some concern around reducing the powers of judges, he said it was a significant change focused on the needs of victims and a chance to do things differently.
Police Minister Mark Mitchell spoke on behalf of the Justice Minister during the third reading.
"It is abhorrent that the law allows questions about whether children enjoyed or agreed to sexual activity. We're fixing that.
"It is unconscionable that victims feel silenced by our laws especially when they've braved the scrutiny of the court process to prove their case. We're fixing that too."
Mitchell said victims had been clear that name suppression settings had disempowered victims, prevented them from speaking out about their experiences and warning others.
New Zealanders also believed the way children were questioned in court was unacceptable, Mitchell said.
MP Kahurangi Carter spoke in favour of the bill on behalf of the Green Party.
"I know that we all feel this really heavily for victims under 12. It seems so obvious.
"I'm glad today we're bringing our legislation, our laws into line with what is right."
Goldsmith recognised some victims would not want to make the decision about name suppression themselves. In those cases, the decision would rest with the courts.
He believed the changes would assist in ensuring 20,000 fewer victims of violent crime by 2029.
While the bill was passed unanimously, there were no Te Pāti Māori MPs in the House at the time.
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