Government says planned law includes streamlined, independent pathway to Court Martial
Judith Collins, defence minister, has announced that the Armed Forces Discipline Legislation Amendment Bill (Bill no. 239-1) – which seeks to modernise New Zealand’s military justice system and align it with the civilian justice system – has passed its first reading.
According to the government, the legislation will introduce:
“Our Armed Forces must maintain strong discipline so they are always ready to protect New Zealanders,” Collins said in the government’s news release. “We hold our personnel to a high standard and they should expect the same from their military justice system.”
The government explained that new search powers in the bill will help the New Zealand Defence Force investigate alleged offences while simultaneously offering safeguards. Under these search powers:
The government noted that the legislation will extend the right to elect trial by Court Martial to most offences. According to the bill’s general policy statement, the legislation will also:
According to information from the New Zealand Parliament’s website, the Armed Forces Discipline Legislation Amendment Bill, introduced on 15 December 2025, passed its first reading on 10 February 2026.
“The current military justice system is out-of-date, with no substantial changes made since 2007,” Collins said in the government’s news release. “These updates align it more closely with developments in the civilian justice system.”
The government stated that the bill aims to ensure that New Zealand’s military justice system is modern, fair, efficient, transparent, easy to navigate and administer. It also seeks to enable commanders to devote more attention to operational outputs in an increasingly volatile landscape.
According to the bill’s general policy statement, the legislation also intends to ensure that the military justice system:
