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New laws set to better protect people from stalking and harassment
New laws set to better protect people from stalking and harassment
From 26 May 2026, new laws will come into force that strengthens victim protections by clearly defining stalking and harassment and making it explicit that this behaviour is illegal. This is a new criminal offence carrying a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment.
The new offence focuses on patterns of behaviour, enabling earlier intervention before harm escalates. A pattern is defined as one or more specified acts on two separate occasions within two years, where the offender knows their actions are likely to cause fear or distress. Police will be able to issue a stalking and harassment notice after a single incident to warn a person that further behaviour may amount to an offence.
Specified acts include following, tracking, loitering, recording, doxing, damaging reputation, and using technology or other people to continue unwanted contact. This may involve waiting outside a person’s workplace, loitering in public places, contacting their family or colleagues, or posting harmful comments online.
The law recognises the wide range of ways stalking and harassment occurs today including digital tracking, using or harming other people, and targeting pets or property. This ensures victim-survivors are protected across diverse situations. The offence applies regardless of the relationship between the victim and offender, reflecting that stalking can be carried out by partners, ex-partners, acquaintances, or strangers. While anyone can be affected, stalking continues to disproportionately impact women.
Stalking and harassment is a pattern of repeated and unwanted behaviour that undermines a victim’s sense of safety and wellbeing. Victims often experience escalating fear and disruption to daily life, and this can extend to whānau, friends, or colleagues. Courts will have stronger tools to safeguard victims, including preventing the person charged with a stalking and harassment offence (if self-representing) from cross-examining the victim, introducing new aggravating factors at sentencing, restraining orders, harmful digital communication orders, and the ability to disqualify firearms and private security licenses or issue firearms prohibition orders.