If you commit a crime, you might have to go to prison. The court can decide how long you stay in prison. They can choose the maximum time allowed for that crime, or a shorter time. But if the law says you must stay in prison for a minimum amount of time, the court has to follow that rule. You can find more information about this by looking at the Crimes Act 1985. The court's decision is based on the Sentencing Act 2002, which is a law that guides how courts make decisions about prison time.
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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM136442.
80ZV: Availability of rules about drug and alcohol testing and monitoring, and status under Legislation Act 2012, or
"Drug and alcohol testing rules are no longer available"
81B: Procedure if offender convicted in District Court and court believes offender could be sentenced to life imprisonment, or
"What happens if you might get a life sentence for a serious crime in the District Court"
If under any enactment an offender is liable to imprisonment for life or for any specified term, the court may, in accordance with this Act, impose imprisonment for the maximum term provided for the particular offence or any lesser term, unless a minimum term of imprisonment is expressly provided for.
