Source: Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand
Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand is deeply concerned following the Justice Committee’s report recommending by majority the progression of the Summary Offences (Demonstrations Near Residential Premises) Amendment Bill.
Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand’s Kaiwhakahaere Executive Director Jacqui Dillon said, “We recognise the important privacy rights this Bill is aimed at, however we’re concerned that this Bill will have a chilling effect on protest, silencing legitimate political expression.”
Throughout history, protests have been the driving force behind some of the most powerful social movements, exposing injustice and abuse, demanding accountability, and inspiring people to keep hoping for a better future.
There are laws already in place to respond to issues such as threatening behaviour.
“We’re concerned what will be captured is protest activity that in a healthy, thriving society should not be criminalised.
“While changes have been put forward by the Justice Committee, our concern remains that the Bill is too vague. The Bill uses terms such as “near”, but what is considered “near” isn’t clear. This lack of clarity risks creating uncertainty and as a result, people may feel too uncertain about what is allowed or not, and therefore don’t protest so as not to risk the significant penalties this Bill proposes.
“Globally we are seeing authoritarian practices and serious human rights regression. Aotearoa is not immune from these trends. We are seeing policies chipping away at our foundations and a number of policies with serious human rights concerns. We worry about the precedent this Bill sets and how this framework could be abused or set us on a path towards even more restrictions.
“We recognise that there is urgent work to be done to better protect Members of Parliament (MPs) and activists. This should be carried out by engaging with people who are especially impacted to develop solutions that are effective and that uphold human rights and Te Tiriti o Waitangi. This Bill is not the solution. We call on all MPs to vote against this Bill.” said Dillon.
