Home OPCAT OPCAT Database New Zealand OPCAT Situation

New Zealand - OPCAT Situation

Updated 08.05.2013

New Zealand ratified the OPCAT in 2007 and designated five existing institutions as its NPM through the Crime of Torture Amendment Bill. The New Zealand NPM has been operational since then, and one of the designated institutions is acting as a coordinator of the NPMs: the Human Rights Commission.

Each designated institutions has a specific thematic mandate under the OPCAT. Similarly to other designated NPMs, they face some operational challenges including lack of specific human and financial resources granted to the specific institutions to perform their new functions under the OPCAT.

The SPT announced that it will conduct a visit to New Zealand from 29 April to 8 May 2013.

The SPT member June C. Pagaduan Lopez is the SPT Focal Point for New Zealand.

Opcat status
OPCAT Ratification March 14, 2007
UNCAT Ratification December 10, 1989
SPT Member Ms Lowell Patria Goddard (2011-2016)
NPM Designated

5 different bodies coordinated by the Human Rights Commission (central NPM), and including the Office of the Ombudsmen, the Independent Police Conduct Authority, the Office of the Children’s Commissioner and the Inspector of Service Penal Establishments of the Office of the Judge Advocate General of the Armed Forces.

NPM Type

Multiple Institutions

NPM Legal Framework

Crime of Torture Amendment Bill and its section on torture prevention (Part 2 of the consolidated version of the Crimes of Torture Act Torture prevention section)

Information
Population 4 076 140
Area (sq km) 268 680
Number of prisons 17
Prison population 8 372
Number of Police Stations 371
Number of therapeutic establishments 75
Number of Detention Places for Migrants 1
Special juvenile establishments 9
Quick links

SPT: Visit to take place from 29 April to 8 May 2013

Communication to the SPT: Official Correspondence from New Zealand

CAT: Concluding Observations (May 2009)

UPR: Report of the Working Group (May 2009)

HRC: Concluding Observations (March 2010)