Andrew Geddis: Otago University Law Professor on the Government's proposal to expand the citizen's arrest powers

There are two camps when it comes to the Government’s proposal to loosen citizen’s arrest laws. 

The measure is being pitched as a remedy for retail crime, by allowing workers and the public to detain suspected thieves with "reasonable force". 

However, concerns have been raised about the risks involved and what constitutes “reasonable force”. 

Otago University Law Professor Andrew Geddis believes the proposal is risky, telling Kerre Woodham it seems like an extreme expansion of the power for one particular problem. 

He says it also runs the risk of someone carrying out a citizen’s arrest only for the police to be unable to attend to it, potentially creating a false promise for retailers.  

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