New Zealand parliamentarian resigns over shoplifting allegations

Golriz Ghahraman, an MP for the centre-left Green Party and its justice spokesperson, is being investigated by police after three allegations of theft from boutique clothing shops.

The lawmaker, a former human rights lawyer, said her actions were "not a behaviour I can explain".

Ghahraman conceded she had fallen short of the standards expected of politicians and needed time to address her mental health.

Work-related stress led her to "act in ways that are completely out of character. I am not trying to excuse my actions, but I do want to explain them", she said in a statement.