Name suppression laws: How it works and what could change

The Government plans to change laws to allow victims the right to choose whether a convicted sex offender gets permanent name suppression or not.

Now, automatic name suppression applies to protect witnesses and complainants under the age of 18 and those where certain sexual offences are alleged.

It’s a law that garners a lot of criticism from the general public – there is constant commentary on the perceived reasons why someone gets to keep their name a secret.

Herald senior reporter Melissa Nightingale and Newstalk ZB’s Sophie Trigger have been delving into the feedback given to the Minister about the changes.

Today on The Front Page, Melissa is with us to discuss them, and what the law looks like at the moment.

Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.

Host: Chelsea Daniels
Sound Engineer/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.