Voting age of 18 is discriminatory, rules New Zealand court

By Smith On Nov 21, 2022

The Supreme Court of New Zealand ruled on Monday that the minimum voting age limit of 18 years was discriminatory. According to a Reuters report, the ruling has forced the New Zealand parliament to consider whether the minimum age limit must be lowered.

The ruling came in a case filed in 2020, in which an advocacy group demanded that the minimum voting age limit be lowered to 16 years. Per media reports, the country’s apex court found the current minimum age limit of 18 to be inconsistent with the Bill of Rights.

The court noted the Bill of Rights allows individuals to be free from the age of 16, which is why the current voting age limit of 18 was discriminatory. The matter will now be tabled in the parliament for discussion, though it wouldn’t be binding on the parliament to change the current age limit. A parliamentary select committee will subsequently review the discussion.

Scientists discover the evolutionary beginnings of penguins

History of penguins

Researchers offered the most thorough examination to date of the history of penguins dating back to their origins more than 60 million years ago, including identifying a suite of genes crucial in adaptations related to underwater vision, long dives, body temperature regulation, diet, and body size.

Genome sequencing

To understand this, researchers sequenced the genomes of 20 living penguin species and subspecies, while also analysing 50 other fossilised species using their skeletal data

Evolved from flying seabirds

Researchers state that penguins evolved from a common ancestor shared by other seabirds, including albatrosses and petrels. The penguin, however, first evolved and learned the ability to dive and soon lost the ability to fly as their bodies adapted to marine life by becoming excellent swimmers and divers

Waimanu manneringi

The earliest known penguin, known as the Waimanu manneringi, from New Zealand, dates back to nearly 61 million years after the mass extinction of dinosaurs.

Lowest evolutionary rate

The study illustrated how global temperature changes like the oscillation between cold and warm periods and the shift in major ocean currents played a crucial role in penguin evolution. Penguins have also been found to exhibit the lowest evolutionary rate among birds.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern welcomed the ruling and said that she supported a decrease in the voting age. However, she added that the government would draft a legislature and place it before the parliament, as changes in the electoral law required 75% support in the house.
Caeden Tipler, co-director of the advocacy group Make It 16, said that the apex court’s ruling was historical and added that the parliament must vote to decrease the age limit to 16. However, the largest opposition, the National Party, has opposed the ruling. Party leader Christopher Luxon said that a line needed to be drawn somewhere and that the current age limit of 18 was just fine.

FAQs:

How many votes are needed for the change in electoral law in New Zealand?
75% votes in the parliament.
Which party is the largest opposition?
The National Party is the largest opposition party in New Zealand.

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