Capital punishment in New Zealand was abolished in 1989, and was last used in 1957. During the period in which the death penalty was in effect, a total of 85 people were executed. 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Method

The method of execution in New Zealand was hanging. At first, there were many possible execution sites all around the country, but later, the only two cities in which hangings could be carried out were Wellington (the capital) and Auckland (the largest city). Initially, there was no professional hangman employed—the executioner was simply chosen from among any who were deemed qualified. On occasion, convicted criminals were employed as hangmen, often in exchange for reduced sentences or monetary reward. In 1877, however, the sheriff of Blenheim recommended that a professional executioner be hired. Tom Long, an Irishman who claimed to have been an executioner in Australia, was hired as New Zealand's first official hangman. He was the only official hangman to be publicly known; others chose to remain anonymous. Suicide by hanging. ... Wellington (Te Whanganui-a-Tara or Poneke) is the capital of New Zealand, the countrys second-largest urban area and the most populous national capital in Oceania. ... The Auckland Metropolitan Area, or Greater Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest urban area in New Zealand. ... 1877 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Blenheim is a small city located in Marlborough, on the northeast of the South Island in New Zealand. ... For an explanation of these and other terms like Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Great) Britain, and United Kingdom, see British Isles (terminology). ...

History

The first person to be sentenced to death by a court in New Zealand was a Māori youth named Kihi, who was found guilty of murdering a Pakeha shepherd. However, Kihi died of dysentry before the sentence could be carried out. The first person to actually be executed was Wiremu Kingi Maketu, who was found guilty of murdering several people on Motuarohia Island, in the Bay of Islands. The people killed were relatives of Captain Richard Roberton, who was accused of swindling and kidnapping Māori from the Chatham Islands—Maketu appears to have been acting in revenge. He was sentenced to death by an all-Pakeha jury (his defence had wanted a half-Pakeha, half-Māori jury) in an Auckland court. Maketu was executed in March 1842. For the Māori language, see Māori language. ... Pakeha is a New Zealand English word for European New Zealanders, that is, New Zealanders of predominantly European descent. ... Dysentery is a severe diarrhea illness often associated with blood in the feces. ... Russell, Bay of Islands The Bay of Islands is an area in the Northland region of the North Island of New Zealand. ... The Chatham Islands from space. ... Pakeha is a New Zealand English word for European New Zealanders, that is, New Zealanders of predominantly European descent. ... The Auckland Metropolitan Area, or Greater Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest urban area in New Zealand. ... 1842 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

All but one of the 85 people executed were men; the sole woman was Minnie Dean, found guilty of infanticide in 1895. All but one of the executions were of convicted murderers—the only exception was Hamiora Pere, who was convicted with treason. The last person to be executed in New Zealand was Walter James Bolton, who was found guilty of poisoning his wife. He was executed on February 17, 1957. Williamina Minnie Dean (2 September 1844 - 12 August 1895) was a New Zealander who was found guilty of infanticide and hanged. ... In sociology and biology, infanticide is the practice of intentionally causing the death of an infant of a given species, by members of the same species. ... 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Hamiora Pere was the only New Zealander ever to be executed for treason. ... In law, treason is the crime of disloyalty to ones nation or state. ... February 17 is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Abolition

When the Labour Party formed its first government following the 1935 elections, it commuted all death sentences to life imprisonment. In 1941, the Crimes Amendment Act changed the penalty for murder from death to life imprisonment with hard labour. The only crimes for which the death penalty would still apply were treason and piracy. The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. ... The 1935 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliaments 25th term. ... Life imprisonment is a term used for a particular kind of sentence of imprisonment. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film) 1941 (MCMXLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1941 calendar). ... Hard Labor is the eleventh album by American rock band Three Dog Night, released in 1974 (see 1974 in music). ... In law, treason is the crime of disloyalty to ones nation or state. ... The Flag of 18th Century pirate Calico Jack This article is about sea piracy; for other uses of Piracy or Pirate, see Pirate (disambiguation). ...

Eventually, however, the Labour Party lost power to the more conservative National Party, which had pledged to reintroduce capital punishment. During the time that the National Party was in office, 36 people were convicted of murder, and 22 of those were sentenced to death. The final decision on executions rested with Cabinet, however, and only eight of the condemned were actually put to death. Current National Party logo The New Zealand National Party (sometimes colloquially referred to as the Nats or as Tories) currently forms the second-largest (in terms of seats) political party represented in the New Zealand Parliament, and thus functions as the core of the parliamentary Opposition. ... The New Zealand Cabinet functions as the policy and decision-making body of the New Zealand governments executive branch. ...

In 1956, a proposal for a referendum on capital punishment was put forward by the Minister of Justice, Jack Marshall. This referendum was to be voted on during the 1957 general elections, but the proposal was defeated. The elections saw a short-lived Labour government elected, but no changes were made before the National Party regained power in the 1960 elections. In 1961, the National Party reaffirmed its support for the death penalty, although restricted its use to premeditated murders, murders committed during another crime, and murders committed during an escape from custody. 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Right Honourable Sir John Ross Marshall GBE (March 5, 1912 – August 30, 1988), generally known as Jack Marshall, was a New Zealand politician. ... The 1957 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliaments 32nd term. ... The 1960 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliaments 33rd term. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

The issue of capital punishment generated debate within the National Party—the new Minister of Justice, Ralph Hanan, was an opponent of the death penalty, while Jack Marshall, then Deputy Prime Minister, was a strong supporter. When the issue came to a conscience vote in Parliament, Hanan and nine other National MPs crossed the floor to vote with the Labour Party. The death penalty was thereby abolished for murder, being retained only for treason and other similar acts. The Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand is second most senior officer in the Government of New Zealand, although this seniority does not necessarily translate into power. ... A conscience vote or free vote is a type of vote in a legislative body where legislators are each expected to vote according to their own personal conscience rather than according to an official line set down by their political party. ... In politics, crossing the floor is to vote against party lines. ...

The last remnants of the death penalty (which had never been put into practice) were finally abolished under a Labour government in 1989. Occasional calls still surface for it to be reintroduced, but no major political party has made capital punishment part of its manifesto. 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

• Gee, David (1975). The devil's own brigade.
• Harcourt, Melville (1942). A Parson In Prison.
• Newbold, Greg (1990). Capital Punishment in New Zealand: An Experiment that Failed.
• Treadwell, C A L (1936). Notable New Zealand Trials.
• Abolition of the Death Penalty Act 1989
• Meccano Set, a program by Radio New Zealand produced by Matthew Leonard and Paul Diamond
• nzcrime.com. Capital Punishment page, second half of the Hangmen page
• Dictionary of New Zealand Biography (articles on Maketu, Dean, Marshall, and Hanan).

Radio New Zealand Limited is New Zealands public service radio broadcaster. ...

Capital punishment in Oceania
	Capital punishment in Australia: Australia · Norfolk Island
	Capital punishment in Melanesia: Fiji · New Caledonia · Papua New Guinea · Solomon Islands · Vanuatu
	Capital punishment in Micronesia: Guam · Kiribati · Marshall Islands · Northern Mariana Islands · Federated States of Micronesia · Nauru · Palau
	Capital punishment in Polynesia: American Samoa · Cook Islands · French Polynesia · New Zealand · Niue · Pitcairn · Samoa · Tokelau · Tonga · Tuvalu · Wallis and Futuna