The Crimes (Substituted Section 59) Amendment Act 2007 (formerly the Crimes (Abolition of Force as a Justification for Child Discipline) Amendment Bill) is an amendment to New Zealand's Crimes Act 1961 which removed the legal defence of "reasonable force" for parents prosecuted for assault on their children.
The law was introduced to the New Zealand Parliament as a private members bill by Green Party Member of Parliament Sue Bradford in 2005, after being drawn from the ballot. It drew intense debate, both in Parliament and from the public. The bill was colloquially referred to by several of its opponents and newspapers as the "anti-smacking bill". The bill was passed on its third reading on 16 May 2007 by 113 votes to seven. The Governor-General of New Zealand granted the bill Royal Assent on 21 May 2007, and the law came into effect on 21 June 2007.
A citizens-initiated referendum on the issues surrounding the law was held between 30 July and 21 August 2009, asking Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?. Despite widespread criticism of the question's wording, the referendum was returned with an 87.4 percent "No" vote on a turnout of 56.1 percent.
Read more about Crimes (Substituted Section 59) Amendment Act 2007: Legal Context, Social Context, Political Context, Debate and Aftermath, Reactions and Opinions, Referendum Proposals
Famous quotes containing the words crimes, section, amendment and/or act:
“Poor human nature, what horrible crimes have been committed in thy name!”
—Emma Goldman (1869–1940)
“That’s my problem, chaplain: I’m yellow. PFC Bernstein—plumb, fat coward. Hey, can you get a Section 8 for being yellow?”
—James Poe, U.S. screenwriter, and Based On Play. Robert Aldrich. Bernstein (Robert Strauss)
“... when we shall have our amendment to the Constitution of the United States, everyone will think it was always so, just exactly as many young people believe that all the privileges, all the freedom, all the enjoyments which woman now possesses were always hers. They have no idea of how every single inch of ground that she stands upon to-day has been gained by the hard work of some little handful of women of the past.”
—Susan B. Anthony (1820–1906)
“When private men shall act with original views, the lustre will be transferred from the actions of kings to those of gentlemen.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)