Twenty-three people were convicted for murders committed while they were on bail over a five-year period, according to Ministry of Justice figures.
A further 21 were convicted of "homicide-related" offences while on bail, including manslaughter, attempted murder and driving causing death, figures released under the Official Information Act show.
The figures, which count defendants whose trials were completed by the end of 2010, did not represent the number of victims, as in some cases more than one person was charged for the same murder, or more than one murder occurred at the same time.
The information also showed that, over the same period, almost 70,000 offenders committed new crimes after being released on bail by the courts.
The figures come just days before a Government select committee is due to start hearing verbal submissions on proposed changes to the country's bail laws.
The Bail Amendment Bill makes a series of changes to bail laws to improve public safety.
One of those reforms is reversing the burden of proof for serious violent and sexual offenders.
This means defendants would have to prove they would not be a threat to public safety if released from custody. At present, the police must show why defendants should remain locked up.
The Ministry of Justice estimates that each year about 78,000 people spend time on bail. In 2008, the bail law was changed to make the threshold for remand from a "real and significant risk" that the defendant would abscond, interfere with witnesses or offend on bail, back to a "risk".
In the five years between 2006 and 2010, 69,087 people were convicted of at least one offence while they were on bail.
Of those, 7146 were convicted of acts intended to cause injury, mainly assault; 1132 for abduction, kidnapping, false imprisonment, harassment, nuisance or threatening behaviour; and 763 for sexual assaults or offending.
The 44 people charged with murder or homicide-related offences were on bail for a range of alleged crimes. Most were facing traffic or vehicle-related and assault charges. Others were bailed on charges relating to firearms or weapons offences, abduction, sexual assault, drugs or breaches of conditions including bail, parole and home detention.
In November, 18-year-old Christie Marceau died after a violent attack in her North Shore home.
Akshay Chand (19) was charged with her murder. He was on bail at the time after allegedly kidnapping, assaulting and threatening her just two months earlier.
After Ms Marceau died, her parents teamed up with the Sensible Sentencing Trust to launch a campaign in her honour. Christie's Law aims for tougher bail laws and tighter access to bail for offenders charged with violent crimes.
Sensible Sentencing Trust and Christie's Law spokeswoman Ruth Money, who will present a submission to the select committee this week, said there was a "strong" belief changes to the bail laws were "overdue".
"This data saddens us," she said yesterday.
The figures
Number of people convicted of murder while on bail. -
2006: 4.
2007: 6.
2008: 6.
2009: 3.
2010: 4.
2011: Not available.
2012: Not available.
