The bill contains a number of important safeguard measures to ensure that the powers it confers are fair, proportionate, and reasonable. For example, the bill provides a clear evidential threshold, with the powers in the bill only available where there are reasonable grounds to suspect that an offence has been, is being, or will be committed on board the vessel, or where there are reasonable grounds to believe there is evidence on board a ship of serious criminal offending. This is consistent with the evidential threshold under existing New Zealand law, in particular the Search and Surveillance Act. The maritime powers in the bill are only able to be used for serious criminal offending at sea, which are those punishable by imprisonment for life or by two or more years' imprisonment.