Crimes Amendment Bill

Bills are proposals to make a new law or to change an existing one. Only Parliament can pass a bill. Each bill goes through several stages, giving MPs and the public the chance to have their say.

This bill repeals 3 provisions in the Crimes Act 1961. Section 71(2) protects spouses and civil union partners in cases where they would otherwise be an accessory after the fact to an offence. Section 123 contains an offence of blasphemous libel. The bill also repeals the year-and-a-day rule contained in section 162.