Sex Offender Register One Step Closer

Justice Minister Phil Goff's decision to further investigate the creation of a central register of sex offenders is highly positive, ACT New Zealand MP Deborah Coddington said from London today.

"My draft legislation, the Sex Offenders' Register, will save children's lives. It is fair and balanced, and it is overdue.

"The Minister's acknowledgement that we `need to improve the ability of agencies to monitor sex offenders in order to minimise the chances of them re-offending after release' shows New Zealand is moving closer to the implementation of a Register.

"My legislation, available in full at http://www.act.org.nz/sexoffender , would create a central register of convicted sex offenders available to the police. It would be an offence for a person on the register to fail to alert police to a change in circumstances.

"I look forward to the Parliamentary debate of my legislation when I return from England," Ms Coddington said.

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