Commentary
On Nov. 21, the Supreme Court of New Zealand, in Make It 16 Incorporated v Attorney-General (pdf) declared that the legal provisions “which provide for a minimum voting age of 18 years are inconsistent with the right … to be free from discrimination on the basis of age.”
The Court has now waded into the long-running debate of lowering the voting age in New Zealand—a delicate and complex problem. The Court’s declaration means Parliament now has a legal obligation to consider the issue.
In response, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that she intends to introduce a bill to lower the voting age to 16 years….