Steven Ensslen

June 12, 2025

Submission: Education and Training Amendment Bill (No 2)

Prioritising freedom of expression over other BORA rights is an unjustified limit of those other rights. If the only way in which the bill can be made compatible with BORA is by putting an obligation on Universities to lie to the public then the bill must be altered. Keep reading

April 27, 2025

Submission: Land Transport (Time of Use Charging) Amendment Bill

The Council strongly opposes the system of mass surveillance which the government intends to create as a side effect of implementing the bill. Keep reading

January 20, 2025

Submission: Ministry of Health Puberty Blockers Consultation

The Council opposes the Ministry's Puberty blockers proposal on the grounds that it violates the Human Rights Act. Democracies do not hold consultations as to whether minorities should have their rights respected. Keep reading

January 19, 2025

Meeting Dates in 2025

Our monthly committee meeting are open to anyone who wishes to attend. Meetings take place between 6.00pm and 7:30pm via … Keep reading “Meeting Dates in 2025”

January 7, 2025

Submission:Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill

The Council rejects the Treaty Principles Bill. A treaty cannot be changed by just one of the signatories. A referendum is inappropriate to address the rights of a minority. And the bill seeks to constrain judges in ways which are quite improper. Keep reading

December 18, 2024

Privacy Commissioner’s Biometric Code fails to protect New Zealanders

Aotearoa New Zealand should follow the Australian example and ban the remote capture of biometric information. Keep reading

November 28, 2024

Submission: Budapest Convention and Related Matters Legislation Amendment Bill

The convention has been widely criticised for creating human rights problems. The convention requires New Zealand Police to invade the privacy of people here, upon receipt of demands from foreign police, without adequate safeguards like proportionality. It is far better for Aotearoa New Zealand to creatively implement treaties in ways which improve our country than to strictly adhere to the wording of treaties in ways which lower our standards. Keep reading

October 29, 2024

Submission: Sentencing (Reform) Amendment Bill

The Sentencing (Reform) Amendment bill makes a series of alterations to sentencing which run contrary to the principles of natural justice. The Council does not believe in the problem, and finds the proposed solution to be an unacceptable limit on our civil liberties. Keep reading

September 20, 2024

Submission: Here ora? Preventive measures for community safety, rehabilitation and reintegration (NZLC IP54, 2024)

The Council opposes preventative detention and post-sentence orders in principle. We reluctantly acknowledge that we should not abolish preventative measures at this time. The Council generally supports the Law Commission's Preferred Approach, but we do note some objections. Keep reading

August 30, 2024

Submission: Land Transport (Drug Driving) Amendment Bill

The Council opposes the Land Transport (Drug Driving) Amendment Bill as an unwarranted intrusion on our civil liberties to implement a regime that fails in its stated purpose. Keep reading

July 23, 2024

Submission: Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill

The Council opposes the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill as it infringes on our civil liberties while not providing sufficient justification for doing so. It seems to us that the bill is more about political signalling than improving our justice system. Keep reading

June 26, 2024

Keith Locke 1944 – 2024

Prominent NZCCL member, MP, and activist Keith Locke has died at the age of 80. Keep reading

June 19, 2024

Submission: Future Census

The Council calls for this consultation to be scrapped. Stats NZ is proposing a fundamental change to a cornerstone of our system of government. They are running a sham consultation on it, having provided no data and having admitted that they do not have evidence that its proposal will work. Keep reading

May 29, 2024

Submission: Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Bill

The Council opposes this bill as the intended purpose is insufficient to justify breaching our international human rights obligations. Keep reading

May 27, 2024

Submission: Restoring Citizenship Removed By Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982 Bill

The Council has long opposed the Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982, which we have described as unjust and racist. Therefore the Council supports the Restoring Citizenship Removed By Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982 Bill. Keep reading

May 13, 2024

Privacy Commission Biometrics Consultation

The Council believes that biometric processing is a significant threat to our liberties and our democracy. The Council re-iterates our call for a ban on Remote Biometric Identification (RBI). The Council recommends that a biometrics code under the Privacy Act should not be adopted. Keep reading

April 6, 2024

Submission: Gangs Legislation Amendment Bill

This Bill is a gross infringement of our civil liberties including the rights to freedom of expression, freedom of association, and freedom of peaceful assembly. The Council recommends that the Committee reject this Bill in its entirety. Keep reading

April 6, 2024

Submission: Firearms Prohibition Orders Legislation Amendment Bill

The Council condemns this bill in the strongest terms. The word for Police interactions “without having reasonable grounds to suspect that any offence has been, is being, or will be committed” is harassment. Keep reading

March 13, 2024

Ram Raids Bill Oral Submission

The Attorney General has decided that this bill can not be justified in a free and democratic society. That’s a serious condemnation from a trusted source. The Council urges the committee to kill this bill. Keep reading

February 7, 2024

Meeting Dates in 2024

Our monthly committee meeting are open to anyone who wishes to attend.

A typical meeting includes:

Updates on our major

… Keep reading