Three strikes law


The Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Act (the Act) received Royal assent from the Governor-General on 17 December 2024 and the provisions relating to the Three Strikes regime came into force on 17 June 2025. 

To fulfil a commitment in the National Party–ACT Party Coalition Agreement, the Government reinstated the Three Strikes regime that was repealed in 2022 with modifications to make the new regime more workable.

The Act:

  • covers the same 41 serious violent and sexual offences as the former legislation, with the addition of the new strangulation and suffocation offence;
  • introduced a new requirement that the Three Strikes regime will only apply when specified qualifying sentence thresholds are met (being sentences above 12 months for first strikes, and sentences above 24 months for second and third strikes);
  • reactivates strikes from the previous Three Strikes regime that meet these thresholds;
  • extends the use of the “manifestly unjust” exception to allow some judicial discretion to avoid very harsh outcomes and address outlier cases;
  • provides a limited benefit for guilty pleas to avoid re-traumatisation of victims, and to improve court delays; and
  • ensures that people who commit murder at second or third strike receive an appropriately lengthy non-parole period.

The Ministry of Justice will undertake a post-implementation review to assess the effect of the new Three Strikes regime. 

How to find out about reactivated strikes from the previous Three Strikes regime

To find out if you have a strike from the previous Three Strikes regime that has been reactivated, there is more information on our Criminal History Check page(external link). 

Cabinet papers, briefings, and related material

Briefing, Cabinet paper and Minute and Regulatory Impact Statement: Policy decisions: Reinstating three strikes sentencing law(external link) (11 June 2024)

Briefing, Cabinet paper and Minutes: Sentencing (Reinstating three strikes) Amendment Bill(external link) (6 August 2024)

Cabinet paper and Minutes: Modifying the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill(external link) (22 October 2024)

Cabinet paper and minute: Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Regulations 2025 [PDF, 195 KB] (24 June 2025)

Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill(external link) (Legislation.govt.nz)

Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill(external link) (Parliament’s website)

Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Act 2024(external link) (Legislation.govt.nz)

Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill – Justice Committee report(external link) (Parliament’s website)

Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill – First Reading Legislative Statement(external link) (Parliament’s website)

Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill - Departmental Disclosure Statement(external link) (Legislation.govt.nz)

Sentencing (Reinstatement of Three-strikes Regime) Amendment Bill (v 6.0) - Consistency with NZBORA 1990(external link) (14 June 2024)

Ministerial media releases

Government introduces Three Strikes Bill(external link)

Government to toughen Three Strikes Bill(external link)

Three Strikes Bill passes third reading(external link)

Tougher sentences ahead as Three Strikes returns(external link)

Official Information Act responses and proactive release information

OIA 107391 – Three strikes law(external link)

OIA 112335 – Correspondence between MOJ and Corrections on three strikes(external link)

Proactive release of correspondence relating to the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill – part 1(external link)

Proactive release of correspondence relating to the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill – part 2(external link)

Proactive release of correspondence relating to the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill – part 3(external link)

Proactive release of correspondence relating to the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill – part 4(external link)

Proactive release of correspondence relating to the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill – part 5(external link)

Proactive release of correspondence relating to the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill – part 6(external link)

Proactive release of correspondence relating to the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill – part 7(external link)

Proactive release of three strikes documents in WPQ 69627 [PDF, 2.1 MB]

Three strikes repeal

Information about the 2022 repeal of the previous three strikes regime can be found below.

Three strikes repeal

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