National Party Proposes Active Consent Law | Wellington News

Wellington News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jul 18, 2026 · 1m

The National Party is pushing a bold legal shift: consent must be an active, explicit “yes” — not assumed by silence or past agreement. They’re amending the Crimes Act to require clear, ongoing verbal or physical consent for every sexual encounter, aiming to align the law with everyday parenting advice and reinforce that sex is only okay with mutual, enthusiastic agreement. Crucially, they’re clarifying this won’t change the legal burden of proof — prosecutors still need to prove lack of consent beyond a reasonable doubt. After bipartisan groundwork, National is now leading the charge to…