Crimes Act 1961 – Part 8

Part 8 of the Crimes Act 1961 deals with crimes against the person. The project reviewed the adequacy and coherence of the current offence provisions, considered whether there were any gaps in them and revised maximum penalty levels. The project was completed in 2009 when a report and draft bill were provided to the Minister of Justice.

Review of Part 8 of The Crimes Act 1961: Crimes Against the Person (NZLC R111, 2009)

The Commission's Report, Review of Part 8 of The Crimes Act 1961: Crimes Against the Person (NZLC R111, 2009) recommends that many of the offences in Part 8 of the Crimes Act should be repealed and replaced, including sections 188, 189, 193, and 196 (which are the core assault and injury offences); sections 145, 160 and 190 (which address criminally negligent behaviour); and offences relating to child neglect and ill treatment.

Some of the Commission’s recommendations were implemented in the Crimes Amendment Act (No 3) 2011.