Aotearoa/New Zealand Parliament's Justice Select Committee has reopened public submissions on the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill following widespread technical issues with the submission website.

The original deadline of 11.59 pm on Tuesday, 7 January, was missed by many due to website problems.

The committee met on Thursday morning and unanimously agreed to reopen submissions until 1 pm on 14 January.

Anyone who emailed their submissions between Monday and Thursday morning will also have their feedback accepted, provided it meets the necessary conditions.

Initial estimates suggest over 300,000 submissions were lodged online, with around half submitted on the final day.

This figure surpasses the previous record of just over 100,000 submissions for the 2021 Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill.

The Justice Committee urged the public to submit early, warning against leaving submissions to the final hours of the extended deadline.

ACT leader David Seymour, the bill's architect, encouraged the public to take advantage of the extension.

"This is your last chance to make your voice heard on the bill which would deliver equality before the law for all Kiwis," he wrote on social media.

The Opposition had earlier called for an extension, citing the technical issues as a barrier to democratic participation.

Labour spokesperson Barbara Edmonds confirmed the party had requested an additional week for submissions.

Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi said the technical failures risked undermining the democratic process.

"This kaupapa is far too important to be rushed or compromised by avoidable errors," he said.

The Green Party also called for more time, highlighting that website problems left many unable to have their voices heard.

Melbourne-based Rex Fowler was one of those impacted by the technical issues.

"I think a lot of people, with that little hurdle in the way, wouldn't have submitted and wouldn't be heard," he said.

Tech consultant Louisa Taylor noted that the website issues could stem from server overload or a potential cyberattack.

"If a nefarious actor sent a lot of traffic to the site, they could actually take it down," she explained.

Evidence of submission issues dates back to November 2024, with some submitters emailing Parliament after encountering problems with the portal.