New Zealand
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
Data card
- Legal status
- Abolitionist
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 0
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 0
- First news item in the archive
- JANUARY 1, 1999 · The death penalty was abolished for ordinary crimes...
- News items in the archive
- 67
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
New Zealand is classified as Abolitionist in the Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026. In 2026 the association recorded 0 executions in the country, against 0 the year before. The archive holds 67 news items on New Zealand, from 1999 to today.
Latest news
- APRIL 26, 2000New ZealandDEATH PENALTY
New Zealand cosponsored the resolution on the death...
New Zealand cosponsored the resolution on the death penalty approved by the UN Commission on Human Rights on April 26 (no
- JANUARY 1, 2000New 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
- DECEMBER 1, 1999New ZealandDEATH PENALTY
In December, Bret Bestic, regional manager of Auckland...
In December, Bret Bestic, regional manager of Auckland Prison at Paremoremo for the last 16 months, said: "There are people who are exceptionally violent and show little or no remorse and there is a strong case for capital punishment for those people
- NOVEMBER 8, 1999New ZealandDEATH PENALTY
On November 8, New Zealand's representative Michael...
On November 8, New Zealand's representative Michael Powels, speaking at the Third Committee of the General Assembly (human rights) under item 116a (death penalty), said New Zealand was an early co-sponsor of a draft resolution calling for a moratorium on
- OCTOBER 1, 1999New ZealandDEATH PENALTY
On October 1, the Assignment-Colmar Brunton poll found...
On October 1, the Assignment-Colmar Brunton poll found that 51% of respondents believed the death penalty should be an option for certain types of crime, and 41% opposed the death penalty
- APRIL 28, 1999New 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 on April 28 (1999/61)
- JANUARY 1, 1999New 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