8580 (2025). Hon Ginny Andersen to the Minister of Justice

8580 (2025). Hon Ginny Andersen to the Minister of Justice: Does the Government intend that everyday New Zealanders should take a different approach to reasonable force when restraining someone suspected of a minor retail theft compared with a high-level retail theft under the government's citizen's arrest reforms?

Hon Paul Goldsmith: Whether a person’s use of force is reasonable or not will depend on the situation and the degree of force applied. It will be a matter for the Courts to decide whether any force used was reasonable.