News

Transport Agency consultants believe tolls of $6 to $8 could pay for a new Auckland harbour crossing. The tolls would be charged on the new crossing and the existing harbour bridge. The figures are in a report which the Auckland Council has circulated to local boards on options for...

more...

Destiny Church's Hannah Tamaki has effectively been disqualified from the presidency race for the Maori Women's Welfare League after her name was left off voting material. Mrs Tamaki's derailed candidacy comes after an alleged direct challenge from a MWWL member - Prue Kapua - who argued to...

more...

Big tobacco companies won't be able to sue the Government over anti-smoking laws, Prime Minister John Key says. Philip Morris Asia, based in Hong Kong, is threatening to sue the Australian government because it intends forcing tobacco companies to sell cigarettes in plain packets. The...

more...

The senior nurse who was disciplined for having an affair with the husband of a severely disabled patient has resigned from her position as a member of the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal. The nurse, whose name was suppressed by the tribunal when it considered a professional...

more...

A civil liberties lawyer says police went too far over the weekend when checking residents in an Auckland street where a Hells Angels gathering was being held. Brentwood Avenue residents say they were photographed and asked for their address, name, date of birth and job. Barrister Michael...

more...

The Government is firmly against pay discrimination based on gender, but has shied away from supporting a bill aimed at eliminating any pay gap between men and women who are doing the same job. The issue of pay equity has come to the fore after comments by Alasdair Thompson, head of the...

more...

A law that would restrict freedom camping could threaten a Kiwi tradition by capturing hikers and mountaineers who sleep on roadsides before an early morning start to their adventures, parliament has been told. The Local Government sub-committee heard submissions this morning on the Freedom...

more...

Ratko Mladic plans to boycott UN war crimes court when he is scheduled to enter plea against charges of genocide during the Bosnian war Former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic plans to boycott the UN war crimes court on Monday, when he is scheduled to enter a plea against charges of...

more...

Concern about quality of advocacy has led to the introduction of a controversial scheme to assess performance   The furore over the cross-examination of Milly Dowler's parents has placed advocacy in the courts under a fierce spotlight. Putting the rights and wrongs of the Dowler case...

more...

Flexible working and sabbaticals among initiatives being introduced to bolster lawyer retention rates   Big law firms work hard to project the illusion that life within them is a utopian combination of riches, intellectual stimulation and perfect work-life balance. The seed of this...

more...

Whether it's in your employment contract or the paperwork for a cell phone, it's odds on that the small print says you can't sue Worried about the influence of money in American politics, the huge cash payouts that the US supreme court waved through by its Citizens United decision – the...

more...

The Reserve Bank has raised the amount of capital banks must hold to back their lending to farmers. The changes have been well flagged, however, and deputy governor Grant Spencer said they would have only a minor effect on rural loan margins, as the banks had already adjusted their pricing...

more...

A Nelson real estate agency, which tried to charge a $30,000 selling commission on a property it was only engaged to manage, has lost its dispute with the property owner and been ordered to pay more than $6000 in fines and costs. The Real Estate Agents Authority has ruled that Summit Real...

more...

Under-age women are being forced into prostitution in New Zealand, a United States report on human trafficking shows. The annual Trafficking in Persons report said New Zealand was a destination for women from Asian and Eastern European countries trafficked into forced prostitution. But no...

more...

No more Spice Girl hakas, no more moko designs on cigarette packets, no more tiki-motif salad servers. If ministers accept new Waitangi Tribunal recommendations, Maori would have a right of veto over the use of cultural imagery, and would advise the Government on any patents that use...

more...

Grassroots rugby clubs face a $3000 fee for screening Rugby World Cup games live - unless they exploit a bureaucratic loophole by making them "themed" events. Strict conditions govern RWC 2011 events and marketing, prohibiting businesses and organisations from advertising "World...

more...

Enrico Moretti, an Italian professor of economics living in California, knows all about the women and sick days controversy here because he read about it in the Toronto Globe and Mail. He's used to the reaction, too, and has some sympathy for Employers and Manufacturers Association chief...

more...

The values of "suspect" but soundly-built watertight houses will be written down in upcoming council rating valuations because of the stigma of the leaky homes debacle - pushing up bills for other ratepayers. Valuer-general Neil Sullivan has given a clear direction that, with the...

more...

Auckland law firm Turner Hopkins is still collecting evidence for its planned class action against the trustee companies of some failed finance firms and hopes to have final funding approval for the lawsuit within a month or two. The firm has been seeking expressions of interest from investors...

more...

Auckland Transport is seeking a law change so it can fine fare-dodgers on trains. It is working with government agencies to ensure it will be able to take action against the fare cheats from the middle of next year. Chief operating officer Fergus Gammie told his board last week that all...

more...

The Government will carefully consider the latest Waitangi Tribunal report Ko Aotearoa Tenei, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson said. “The government will now consider the report in its entirety and in the context of existing policy,” Mr Finlayson said. “The...

more...

The biggest overhaul of the legal aid system in a decade comes into force today. Justice Minister Simon Power said the Legal Services Act 2011 is a major part of the Government’s response to Dame Margaret Bazley’s 2009 report, which identified system-wide failings and called for...

more...

Victims of serious crime and sexual violence will be able to apply for additional support and services from today. Justice Minister Simon Power said the five additional entitlements take the total number of Offender Levy-funded services to 13. “These additional services are thanks to...

more...

The start of the new standalone Environmental Protection Authority tomorrow will provide stronger and better coordinated central government leadership on environmental regulation, Environment Minister Nick Smith says. “The new Environmental Protection Authority will strengthen the...

more...

The Reserve Bank’s new capital adequacy requirements for farm lending take effect today, requiring New Zealand’s four largest banks to hold more appropriate regulatory capital to back their rural lending portfolios. The changes affect the risk weights used in regulatory capital...

more...

Entities subject to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009 have two years to be compliant, following today’s publication of the regulations and commencement order. Justice Minister Simon Power said the two-year period is needed to ensure reporting...

more...

A Dunedin quarryman fractured his skull, neck, back and ribs when he fell almost four metres and today his employer, Blackhead Quarries was fined $28,128 for not keeping him safe while he was at work. The Dunedin District Court also ordered Blackhead Quarries to pay reparations of $20,000 to...

more...

North Shore will be the first Public Defence Service office to accept 50% of criminal legal aid assignments, from 18 July, the Acting Deputy Secretary of Legal Services and Treaty, Stuart White, has advised. In a letter to New Zealand Law Society President Jonathan Temm about Public Defence...

more...

Maori could repossess one of Auckland's most troubled apartment complexes if new ground levies are not paid, according to a High Court judge. Justice Mark Woolford issued a decision on the strife-torn 230-unit Quay Park Grand Central Station in which he says owners defaulting on payments would...

more...

Copyright was a burning issue from early in the piece yesterday when the country's internet community met to discuss the issues shaping web use in New Zealand. NetHui, a three-day conference examining online affairs, kicked off in Auckland yesterday and brought together lawyers, economists,...

more...

Bankrupt Auckland property developer David Henderson may be formally investigated after returning to New Zealand from a two-week holiday on his friend's superyacht in Spain. Henderson left on June 10, one day after he was bankrupted, without telling the Official Assignee or seeking approval...

more...

An employee of a restaurant in Christchurch's cordoned-off CBD has been awarded $4960 in owed pay - a decision which could spark more claims, according to experts. Ivan Butera was head chef at Art Restaurant, which has been closed since the February 22 earthquake. Mr Butera took his former...

more...

Advertising watchdogs have dismissed a complaint against a dairy advertising Kronic near a school - saying there was no breach of the code of ethics. Secondary school teacher Marcelle Nader-Turner complained to the Advertising Standards Authority about the unnamed dairy next to Dunedin's...

more...

Air New Zealand has been ordered for the third time to reinstate a flight attendant who was sacked for sitting down during turbulence. The case of Randall Wulff, a flight attendant for 14 years and a former union representative, has gone through the Employment Relations Authority, the...

more...

An overwhelming majority of people support raising the legal purchase age for alcohol to 20 for bars and liquor shops, including supermarkets, according to the latest Herald-DigiPoll survey. The buying age has been the subject of intense debate and will come into the spotlight soon when the...

more...

The Selwyn District Council has unanimously decided to discharge the Springston South Reserve Management Committee because of governance issues creating heightened community tensions. In a public excluded part of last week's Selwyn District Council's meeting, the Chief Executive Paul Davey...

more...

Auckland lawyer Claire Marie Ryan has been appointed a District Court Judge, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today. Judge Ryan was admitted to the New Zealand Bar in 1985, the Federal Court of Australia and the Supreme Court of ACT in 1990 and the Supreme Court of Victoria in...

more...

A new information paper released today reports on earthquake damage to buildings in Christchurch from the 4 September earthquake, and its associated aftershocks, and what this means for building design in the future. It provides answers to critical questions such as 'What is an earthquake...

more...

From Friday 1 July, financial advisers will be regulated under new rules administered by the Financial Markets Authority (FMA). All advisers must be registered on the Financial Service Providers Register (www.fspr.govt.nz) and if they advise retail clients they must belong to a dispute...

more...

Cabinet has approved changes to transport planning legislation as part of ongoing efforts to cut unnecessary red tape and get New Zealand moving. Transport Minister Steven Joyce says amendments to the Land Transport Management Act 2003 (LTMA) will make the transport planning process simpler,...

more...

Cabinet has agreed to update the Securities Regulations 2009, Commerce Minister Simon Power announced today. The updated regulations, which come into force on Friday, replace the current text about financial advice required to be included in investment statements. This will align it with the...

more...

The country's leading authority on child protection has questioned the right to silence for defendants in some child-abuse cases. Starship hospital's director of child protection, Dr Patrick Kelly, told the inquest into the death of the Kahui twins yesterday that he was disappointed new...

more...

Enforcing Australian-style unbranded cigarette packets in New Zealand could cost the Government dearly unless it unpicks part of a trade treaty, the Greens warned yesterday. Philip Morris, the maker of Marlboro cigarettes, has threatened to sue the Australian Government for billions of dollars...

more...

A researcher who campaigned for higher rest-home standards has abandoned an attempt to have a coroner's inquest into his mother's death. Geoff Harper had sought an inquest for 100-year-old Eileen Harper, who died last September in a Tauranga rest home with undiagnosed scabies despite...

more...

The Labour Party has lashed out at Telecom and warns the company's "history of monopolistic behaviour" will continue when it splits in two. After fiercely opposing telecommunications law that passed last week, Labour has gone on to allege Telecom has a culture of bad practice that...

more...

Tuhoe hope a new Treaty settlement involving Te Urewera National Park can be worked out with the Crown by the end of next year as it prepares to sign a milestone agreement this weekend. More than a year after the Crown-Tuhoe settlement negotiations imploded, both parties are committing to a...

more...

Thousands of injury claimants turned down for ACC-funded surgery have been urged to make a new claim after the state-owned insurer said it had been too strict. The Accident Compensation Corporation, after an internal review, said last month it had been rejecting too many elective-surgery...

more...

As many as 300 financial advisers could be out of business by Friday as tough rules come into force making it an offence for unlicensed advisers to give advice on KiwiSaver, managed funds and other investment products. The changes, which require all financial service providers to be on a...

more...

Auckland Council officers are trying to organise a hui with Manukau Harbour iwi to allay concerns about a $28 million land reclamation plan aimed at improving Onehunga's foreshore. They hope to hold the hui with leaders of seven iwi before an open day on July 16, at which contractor Fulton...

more...

Government ministers are considering whether to pick up the cost of future earthquakes in Christchurch, as insurers abandon the city. The Waimakariri and Christchurch councils have been told their earthquake insurance cover won't be renewed after June 30. That will leave them having to...

more...