Thirty-one people charged with murder are on electronic bail in New Zealand

Corrections says public safety was the main priority when granting bail to a person charged with murder.

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Thirty-one people charged with murder are on electronic bail and Māori make up almost half of that group, according to figures released by the Corrections Department.

Of the 31, 15 are Māori, 9 European, 4 Pacific Islanders, 1 Asian and 2 did not have their ethnicity recorded.

Electronically monitored (EM) bail allows a person to remain at an approved address and be monitored by Corrections 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A breach of bail conditions could result in defendants being recalled to prison. Conditions may allow the defendant to attend court, medical appointments or employment and education.

Judges must be fully satisfied that the public, witnesses, victims, and the people who share the addresses are safe.

A Corrections spokesperson said public safety was the main priority when granting bail to a person charged with murder.

”We manage people at the direction of the courts and the New Zealand Parole Board. The decision to grant or not grant a defendant bail is made by a judge, and the person is required to comply with any bail conditions imposed on them by the court,” the spokesperson said.

“We jointly manage EM bail with police. Our role is to assess a person, their proposed address and any other occupants of the proposed address for their suitability for EM bail and manage their compliance with electronic monitoring if EM bail is granted. Police are responsible for taking action regarding any instances of non-compliance with EM conditions, including when a person absconds.”

The figures apply from August 31 and do not include attempted murder, manslaughter or driving offences causing death.

Joseph Los’e joined NZME in 2022 as Kaupapa Māori editor. Los’e was a chief reporter, news director at the Sunday News covering crime, justice and sport. He was also editor of the NZ Truth and before joining NZME worked for 12 years for Te Whānau o Waipareira.