New Zealand
2026
- GOVERNMENT
- Parliamentary democracy - constitutional monarchy of the Commonwealth
- CONSTITUTION
- consists of a series of legal documents, including acts of the United Kingdom and the New Zealand Parliament and the Constitution Act of 1986, which is the first formal charter. Effective from January 1, 1987
- LEGAL SYSTEM
- based on English law, with some special territorial laws and territorial courts for the Maori
- LEGISLATIVE SYSTEM
- unicameral, House of Representatives
- JUDICIAL SYSTEM
- Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; High Court;
RELIGIONS
14.9% Anglicans, 12.4% Catholics; 10.9% Presbyterians; other Christians
From the country
- APRIL 20, 2005New ZealandDEATH PENALTY
New Zealand was a cosponsor of the resolution on the death penalty at the 61st UN Commission on Human Rights.
New Zealand was a cosponsor of the resolution on the death penalty at the 61st UN Commission on Human Rights.
- FEBRUARY 16, 2005New ZealandDEATH PENALTY
New Zealand’s Christian Heritage Party suspended its support for the death penalty...
New Zealand’s Christian Heritage Party suspended its support for the death penalty...
- JANUARY 1, 2005New ZealandDEATH PENALTY
The death penalty was abolished for ordinary crimes in 1961,
The death penalty was abolished for ordinary crimes in 1961,
- JULY 14, 2004New ZealandDEATH PENALTY
A poll showed that nearly a third of adult New Zealanders...
A poll showed that nearly a third of adult New Zealanders want the death penalty back
- APRIL 21, 2004New ZealandDEATH PENALTY
New Zealand was a cosponsor of the resolution on the...
New Zealand was a cosponsor of the resolution on the death penalty at the 60th UN Commission on Human Rights
- APRIL 12, 2004New ZealandDEATH PENALTY
The death penalty was abolished for ordinary crimes in 1961,
The death penalty was abolished for ordinary crimes in 1961,
- DECEMBER 27, 2003New ZealandDEATH PENALTY
A Herald-DigiPoll survey of 400 people in New Zealand...
A Herald-DigiPoll survey of 400 people in New Zealand showed the majority support the death penalty if Saddam Hussein is found guilty of the murders attributed to his regime
- DECEMBER 15, 2003New ZealandDEATH PENALTY
New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark welcomed the...
New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark welcomed the capture of Saddam Hussein but ruled out supporting the death penalty for the Iraqi dictator
- JULY 22, 2003New ZealandDEATH PENALTY
The Sensible Sentencing Trust brought together the...
The Sensible Sentencing Trust brought together the families of victims of "New Zealand's most horrific murders" at Parliament to lobby MPs to change sentencing laws
- APRIL 24, 2003New ZealandDEATH PENALTY
New Zealand was a cosponsor of the resolution on the...
New Zealand was a cosponsor of the resolution on the death penalty approved by the UN Commission on Human Rights, in Geneva
- FEBRUARY 24, 2003New ZealandDEATH PENALTY
New Zealand Justice Minister Phil Goff said that the...
New Zealand Justice Minister Phil Goff said that the Government does not support the death penalty but that it is for India's justice system to decide what sentence to pass on Diana Routley's killer
- JANUARY 1, 2003New ZealandDEATH PENALTY
The death penalty was abolished for ordinary crimes...
The death penalty was abolished for ordinary crimes in 1961, then fully abolished, and replaced with life imprisonment in 1989