New Zealand Acts

VICTIMS' RIGHTS ACT 2002 - SECT 22A

22A Victim impact statement may be presented to court in some other manner

1 The judicial officer sentencing the offender or making an order under section 24(1) or 25(1) of the Criminal Procedure (Mentally Impaired Persons) Act 2003 in relation to a defendant who is acquitted on account of insanity may, at the request of the prosecutor, agree that all or any part of a victim impact statement submitted under section 21 be presented to the court in any manner other than by reading it in accordance with section 22 .

2 For example, the manner in which all or any part of the statement may be presented to the court under this section may be any of the following:

a) it can be read to the court by the victim while in the courtroom but unable to see the defendant or some other specified person:

b) it can be read to the court by the victim from an appropriate place outside the courtroom, either in New Zealand or elsewhere:

c) if it is an audio record, it can be presented by playing that record:

d) if it is a video record, it can be presented by playing that record.

History: Section 22A: replaced, on 21 December 2021, by section 29 of the Sexual Violence Legislation Act 2021 (2021 No 60).   Section 22A(1): amended, on 13 December 2022, by section 38 of the Rights for Victims of Insane Offenders Act 2021 (2021 No 55).