192 (2024). Hon Dr Duncan Webb to the Minister of Justice

192 (2024). Hon Dr Duncan Webb to the Minister of Justice: What measures will the minister implement to ensure that sentencing judges are as properly informed of the personal, family, whanau, community, and cultural background of low income offenders, as those that have sufficient means to commission their own reports under s 27 of the Sentencing Act 2002?

Hon Paul Goldsmith: The planned changes to Section 27 of the Sentencing Act 2002 will not prevent offenders from calling anyone they choose to provide information to the Court in order to inform sentencing. This can be in the form of an oral statement from a friend or family member at no cost to the offender.