Life imprisonment in New Zealand

Life imprisonment has been the most severe criminal sentence in New Zealand since the death penalty was abolished in 1989 having not been applied since 1957.

When the Labour Party formed its first government following the 1935 general election, it commuted all death sentences to life imprisonment.

Offenders sentenced to life imprisonment must serve a minimum of 10 years imprisonment before they are eligible for parole, although the sentencing judge may set a longer minimum period or no minimum period at all (i.e. life without parole).

Inmates serving life sentences usually serve a minimum of 10 years, or longer depending on the minimum non-parole period, before being eligible for parole.

Life imprisonment is the mandatory sentence for treason.

The penalty is life imprisonment, except for conspiracy, for which the maximum sentence is 14 years' imprisonment.

The longest minimum period of imprisonment on a sentence of life imprisonment is 30 years, currently being served by William Dwane Bell.

William Dwane Bell (born 1978) is a New Zealander who was convicted of three murders at the Panmure RSA in 2001 and is serving a 30-year non-parole life sentence at Paremoremo Prison—the longest non-parole sentence ever passed in New Zealand.

In 2002 he was convicted of the murders after a six-week trial and was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of 17 years.

For the murder, he was sentenced to life imprisonment with 20 years' minimum non-parole.

Burton was sentenced to life imprisonment and continued using drugs in prison.

Life imprisonment has been the most severe criminal sentence in New Zealand since the death penalty was abolished in 1989 having not been applied since 1957.

Life imprisonment has been the most severe criminal sentence in New Zealand since the death penalty was abolished in 1989 having not been applied since 1957.

Life imprisonment has been the most severe criminal sentence in New Zealand since the death penalty was abolished in 1989 having not been applied since 1957.

Released offenders remain on parole and are subject to electronic tagging for the rest of their life.

It is the presumptive sentence for murder; a sentence of life imprisonment for murder is mandatory unless in the circumstances it would manifestly unjust to impose life imprisonment.

Circumstances where life imprisonment might be deemed manifestly unjust include mercy killings, failed suicide pacts, and "battered defendants" who were subjected to "prolonged and severe abuse".

Circumstances where life imprisonment might be deemed manifestly unjust include mercy killings, failed suicide pacts, and "battered defendants" who were subjected to "prolonged and severe abuse".

Since the Sentencing and Parole Reform Act 2010 came into force, judges must sentence offenders to life imprisonment without possibility of parole if they have a previous conviction for a serious violent offence, unless given the circumstances it would be manifestly unjust to do so.

The Court of Appeal ruled that imposing life imprisonment without parole in these cases would be inconsistent the right not to be subjected to disproportionately severe treatment or punishment under the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990, especially given one offender's previous serious violent offence was at the minor end of the scale (an indecent assault conviction for pinching a female police officer's bottom).