THE CHILD PROTECTION (CHILD SEX OFFENDER GOVERNMENT REGISTRATION) ACT 2016

Abstract

The Child Protection (Child Sex Offender Government Agency Registration) Act 2016 (the Act) commenced on 14 October 2016; it had to be modified under urgency by the Child Protection (Child Sex Offender Government Agency Registration) Amendment Act 2017 to ensure its retrospective application. This retrospectivity was one of the reasons why the proposed legislation was found by the Attorney-General to be in breach of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 in his report to Parliament under s 7 of that Act. This article describes the background to and content of the Act as passed, and analyses issues to which it gives rise, including the potential human rights issues.