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A legislative clamp-down on synthetic cannabis products is just weeks away, associate health minister Peter Dunne says. Mr Dunne said amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill, currently in its second reading, would be the first item of business at Parliament's next session. Read...

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The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has today laid eleven charges under the Crimes Act against two current and one former director of Capital + Merchant Finance Limited (C+M). The charges relate to transactions involving just over $28 million that occurred between 2004 and 2006. The SFO...

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The Serious Fraud Office says it has laid a further 11 charges against two current and one former director of failed finance company Capital + Merchant Finance. The charges relate to more than $28 million worth of transactions between 2004 and 2006, and are in addition to six Crimes Act...

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The distinction between desperation and delusion is a fine one but Justice Heath does a neat job of delineating the two emotional states in his landmark Nathans Finance judgment. "By this stage," Heath notes on page 154 of the judgment, "the directors actions were closer to...

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Rod Petricevic was delivered a sharp lesson in the High Court at Auckland yesterday that justice will be served in the Bridgecorp trial irrespective of whether he says he can afford it or not. Justice Geoffrey Venning's blunt refusal to throw the Petricevic case out simply because Petricevic...

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People who owe money to the Ministry of Social Development are being warned they can not escape repayments and will be chased beyond the grave as the organisation looks to sharpen up debt collection. An Auditor General report found about 300,000 people owed money to the ministry through...

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New Zealand companies seeking to raise money are using stringent Australian regulations in the preparation of their financial forecasts because local regulations don't make the grade. Local regulations covering financial forecasts are looser than their Australian equivalents, so companies...

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Rupert Murdoch has lost the support of the British Government in his bid to win control of a lucrative satellite broadcaster. British Prime Minister David Cameron has joined the opposition in calling for the media magnate and owner of the former News of the World newspaper to withdraw his bid...

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Owners of leaky homes which are almost 10 years old should move quickly to register for the Government's $1 billion rescue package which passed into law yesterday. The legislation, which passed its third reading with a unanimous vote, sets up a funding package under which affected homeowners...

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Taiwan's leading smartphone maker HTC has dismissed fresh patent infringement claims by US giant Apple as the legal battle between the rivals escalates. Apple has filed a complaint against HTC with the US International Trade Commission (ITC) - which is already reviewing three other disputes...

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Consumers may be forced to cover part of the cost of enforcing new copyright laws, the Government has revealed. The "three strikes" copyright regime requires internet companies to issue warning notices to customers suspected of illegally downloading material, if rights holders -...

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The explosion that ripped through Pike River mine last year had its origin in changes to mining regulations in the 1990s, a former chief inspector of coal mines told the Royal Commission into the tragedy today. The commission is inquiring into the disaster at the West Coast coal mine in...

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lane passengers got a sneak peek at confidential redundancy letters as a company administrator sat reading them, leaving them behind when she went to the toilet. The company, AMP, is restructuring after a merger in March, and a spokeswoman said consultations about affected employees had not...

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If a boat of asylum-seekers reached New Zealand shores, the Government has a legal obligation to allow genuine refugees to stay here, experts say. But where they would stay while being processed and what would happen to the cases that were not authentic is known only to the Government - and...

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Prime Minister John Key is being accused of overstating the chances of asylum seekers crossing oceans in boats and arriving on New Zealand shores asking for refugee status. And his statements have been undermined by Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman, who suggested a boat holding 88 Tamil...

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Christchurch police have made their first arrest for false claims over earthquake damage, and suspect hundreds of claims will need investigation. A woman has been charged with obtaining an advantage by false pretences for filing fake invoices and claiming earthquake repair work had been done...

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Pike River Coal Ltd did not have a proper understanding of the geology of its coal mine, a leading geologist told the Royal Commission into the Pike River tragedy today. The commission is inquiring into the disaster at the West Coast coal mine, in which 29 men died last November. Read more

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A mining boss has been accused of trying to drive down the value of Pike River mine by criticising its operation at a royal commission of inquiry. Solid Energy chief executive Don Elder said he took "great offence" at the implication he was trying to influence the mine's value in...

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TVNZ has been released from the "unrealistic dual mandate" of the charter with the passing of the Television New Zealand Amendment Bill last night, Broadcasting Minister Jonathan Coleman says. However opposition politicians believe the move will lead to same "sleazy" media...

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The dual mandate which shackled Television New Zealand (TVNZ) has been removed following the third reading of the Television New Zealand Amendment Bill tonight, says Broadcasting Minister Jonathan Coleman. "The Bill replaces the current TVNZ charter with a less prescriptive list of...

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Chief District Court Judge Russell Joseph Johnson has been appointed Deputy Judge Advocate General of the Armed Forces, Attorney-General Chris Finlayson announced today. Chief Judge Johnson was an Officer of the Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve for 25 years, being awarded the...

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The Medicines Regulations 1984 and the Medicines (Standing Order) Regulations 2002, have been amended to better align the law with modern medical practice. Health Minister Tony Ryall says "The amendments remove many requirements that are unnecessary, ineffective or excessively...

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Commerce Minister Simon Power today announced that internet service providers will be able to charge rights holders up to $25 for processing an allegation of copyright infringement. The decision was made by Cabinet when considering technical regulations to underpin the Copyright (Infringing...

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Justice Minister Simon Power today welcomed the Law and Order Select Committee’s report on a bill which focuses on tightening juror privacy, safety, and security. The Juries (Jury Service and Protection of Particulars of Jury List Information) Amendment Bill increases security for...

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Owners of leaky homes can get their homes fixed faster following the third reading of the Weathertight Homes Resolution Services (Financial Assistance Package) Bill in Parliament today, Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson says. Under the $1 billion package, qualifying home...

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Now it's time for the odd one out round. Which of the following technology rock stars is the odd man out: Apple, maker of the iPhone; Microsoft, which recently launched a new version of its Windows mobile operating system; Google, creator of the Android platform; and Research in Motion, maker of...

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Is the threat of a $200 instant fine going to deter the feckless minority of free campers who pitch their tents in public parks or on the road verge, light fires on the grass, relieve themselves behind the bushes and leave their rubbish scattered about the gardens? Hmm. Maybe. Some of these...

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Wellington brothel owners the Chow brothers are embroiled in a legal fight over the final payment for work on the collapsed Palace Hotel job in central Auckland. Chow Group's case against Clearwater Construction went to the High Court at Auckland for mention yesterday but is yet to get a...

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Eroding the legal principle of the right to silence and narrowing the types of offences that can go before a jury will most likely be one step closer to becoming law this week. The proposed changes to the criminal justice system are included in the controversial Criminal Procedure (Reform and...

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Employers will be able to test staff for synthetic cannabis use but those behind the testing admit creative chemistry will mean identifying users could be a game of cat and mouse. Environment Science and Research (ESR) announced yesterday it had developed a method to enable testing of the...

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A former Bridgecorp executive says he is too broke to mount a legal defence - and will find out this afternoon whether his fraud case will be thrown out. Rod Petricevic's lawyer, Charles Cato, called for a permanent stay of criminal proceedings in the High Court yesterday, arguing that his...

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A massive Pink Batts stockpile, as long as a football field and as high as a four storey-building, is at a mothballed Fletcher Building plant in Sydney, raising the possibility of litigation against the Australian Government over the axing of its insulation scheme. Philip King, Fletcher...

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Incidents such as the explosion which ripped through Pike River mine killing 29 men should not happen in modern mining, the chief executive of Solid Energy told the royal commission of inquiry in Greymouth yesterday. Don Elder said Pike River Coal always had a high chance of financial failure...

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Police are videotaping traffic passing through high-risk Auckland intersections to catch red-light runners and other offenders. Inspector Andrew Coster, the police central city area commander, says Operation Focus is aimed at capturing evidence of drivers running lights or committing offences...

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Psychologists are finding new ways to improve the quality of discussion by trial juries The jury in the iconic film 12 Angry Men would have reached a very different verdict if not for the Henry Fonda character, "juror 8". His lone dissenting voice prompts a fierce debate in which...

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WikiLeaks founder will begin new legal challenge against attempts to send him to Sweden to face sexual assault charges Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder wanted in Sweden over accusations of sexual assault, will launch a fresh appeal on Tuesday against his extradition at the high court in...

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The ransacking of legal aid means society's most vulnerable will be left to fend for themselves   The mark of a civilised society is how it treats its most vulnerable members. Look beyond the high-profile sentencing reforms contained within the legal aid, sentencing and punishment of...

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Positive sentiment among lawyers was picked up in the latest BNZ monthly confidence survey, published today. Rising optimism in the legal sector could indicate high levels of business confidence will lead to economic growth this year, after the false hopes of 2010. Read more

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Wellington lawyer Alan Ritchie has been appointed Deputy Judicial Conduct Commissioner for a term of five years, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today. Mr Ritchie was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor in 1971. He practiced with Spencer and Ritchie in Ashburton and Chapman...

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A bill which makes offending against Police and Corrections officers an aggravating factor at sentencing has been welcomed back from select committee by Justice Minister Simon Power and Police and Corrections Minister Judith Collins. Mr Power said the Sentencing (Aggravating Factors) Amendment...

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Business casual is gaining acceptance in the UK, influenced by US trends. But formality still rules in many firms, and defendants often want 'a proper lawyer in a wig' A few years ago, I worked briefly at a big law firm in the City. One day, a colleague who had removed his newly purchased...

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The Crown Prosecutor in the Bridgecorp case has labelled an application to have the trial adjourned as a 'phishing' exercise. Former Bridgecorp boss Rod Petricevic is facing a number of criminal charges relating to when he was managing director of the finance company which collapsed in 2007...

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A hairdressing salon has been ordered to pay $4000 compensation to a woman who says she was "fobbed off" when she tried to return to work after maternity leave. Bridget Isherwood was compromised by her ex-employer under the Parental Leave and Employment Protection Act 1987 because...

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The Financial Markets Authority says it is investigating 10 complaints of financial advisers who may be practising illegally, warning the number could go higher still as it introduces tough new legislation to weed out the "cowboys". About 300 financial advisers missed the July 1 cut...

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Police have confirmed they are investigating TVNZ's Sunday programme for a story which aired last night about an autistic man accused of looting after the Christchurch quake. At the end of the Sunday segment, presenter Miriama Kamo said the programme received an email from Christchurch...

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Marlborough district councillors are calling for the resignation of one of its members after a report cleared council staff of corruption. Councillor Jamie Arbuckle claimed council staff possibly tampered with tender documents and that some people believed the council was corrupt, sparking an...

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The Financial Markets Authority (FMA) has issued warnings about unsolicited offers that may be made by Share Buyers Ltd or Australian-based Stock & Share Trading Company Pty Ltd. Share Buyers and people associated with it had requested the share registers for 23 companies with the stated...

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A top law firm is suing a former employee for hundreds of thousands of dollars after she stole nearly $200,000 from it. Emma Garnett, a former solicitor at McVeagh Fleming, took $188,500 from trust accounts between 2002 and 2007. She also stole $6000 from another employer over that period....

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In a wide range of jobs, the pay gap between men and women has proved stubbornly difficult to bridge. Now, the Human Rights Commission has decided it is time for a new approach. It has formulated a draft Pay Equality Bill that would remove confidentiality from what men and women earn in the...

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If you're wealthy, an investor, an executive or operate in the cash economy, the taxman is watching you. Using its vast data-matching abilities, the Australian Taxation Office is becoming increasingly sophisticated in targeting taxpayers, particularly those who are using non-lodgement or...

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