Second reading of the Bill

Summary: On March 27, 2018, a parliamentary recording captures the second reading of the Criminal Records (Expungement of Convictions for Historical Homosexual Offences) Bill. The recording took place in the Parliament buildings, Wellington, and features a number of government officials deliberating on the bill, which seeks to correct past injustices by allowing for expungement of historical convictions for homosexual offenses. This legislative priority addresses convictions made before the Homosexual Law Reform Act of 1986, which decriminalized homosexual acts between consenting adults.

The various speakers, including Minister of Justice Andrew Little and Amy Adams (who introduced the original bill), discuss the bill's intent to rectify past wrongs and remove the persisting stigma associated with those convictions. Various amendments are recommended to improve the bill's effectiveness, including provisions on non-disclosure of expunged convictions and alignment with current legislation. A noteworthy point of discussion revolves around the issue of compensation for the affected individuals, ultimately deciding not to recommend a compensation scheme due to its complexity and variety of circumstances.

The bill aims to establish a statutory scheme allowing affected individuals or their representatives to apply for expungement. If successful, the conviction would not appear on criminal history checks, and disclosing such information would be an offense. The bill has broad support across political parties, with members expressing pride and recognition of its historical significance.

This summary is created using Generative AI. Although it is based on the recording's transcription, it may contain errors or omissions. Click here to learn more about how this summary was created.

Adrian Rurawhe Amy Adams Andrew Falloon Andrew Little Chris Bishop Darroch Ball David Seymour Ginny Andersen Grant Robertson Jan Logie Maggie Barry Matt King Poto Williams Priyanca Radhakrishnan Raymond Huo Tim van de Molen

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