Ban on gang patches

[Lilith7]

There seem to be several difficulties with this not so brilliant idea. They just seem to have been in too much of a rush to appear tough & haven't bothered with the details.



https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/3502549...ng-patches

"Through the Gangs Legislation Amendment Bill, the Government planned to introduce four new powers to “crack down” on gangs:

1. Making it illegal to wear gang insignia in public.
   
2. Giving police powers to force suspected gang members to disperse.
   
3. Giving district courts powers to make “non-consorting orders”, so “specific gang offenders” cannot communicate for three years.
   
4. Making gang membership an aggravating factor at sentencing.
   

The gang insignia ban and restrictions on communication and congregation have raised significant human rights concerns because the Bill of Rights Act protects freedom of expression and association. These gang laws could be used against people who have not been convicted of another crime, creating their own offences.
Lawyers also said gang membership was already an aggravating factor in sentencing.

If patches and insignia were banned, he expected “gang signs” to become a main identifier of gang members. Robinson showed the committee one sign which was already in use as a gang sign, but in sign language meant “I love you”.

“Imagine a world where we were attacked for using that sign in the wrong space,” he said.
"Overseas, deaf people have died as a result of this... I am concerned you will create a problem here in New Zealand. So I ask the committee to stop the bill to protect our community.“

The Law Society's Chris Macklin said the bill should be withdrawn and sent "back to the drawing board".

He and other lawyers, as well as the Free Speech Union, cast doubt on Government arguments that similar measures had been successful in Australia. He said the studies offshore showed in many cases gangs continued operating underground, and became harder to identify.

Civil liberties campaigner Thomas Beagle said this would “create a new class of New Zealanders with fewer rights”.

Pointing out the gang list could be changed fairly easily, he asked: "Who will be the next group classified as a problem?“

“This bill is rotten right the way through. I am disappointed it has got this far in a rights-respecting nation,” he concluded."