New Zealand High Court found that setting a minimum voting age is discriminatory. Now the parliament is debating whether it should be lowered.
Reuters writes about this with reference to the statement of human rights defenders.
The corresponding lawsuit was filed by the human rights group Make It 16, which lobbies to lower the voting age to 16. This was motivated by the fact that 16-year-olds could drive, work full-time and pay taxes, and therefore should be given the right to vote.
The Supreme Court ruled that the current voting age of 18 contravenes the national Bill of Rights, which gives people the right to be free from age discrimination once they turn 16.
The courtʼs decision forces the parliament to discuss it and consider it at a special parliamentary committee. But this does not force the parliament to change the voting age.