News

The Electronic Identity Verification Bill (15 February 2012) "The Electronic Identity Verification Bill is part of a wider project of enabling people to securely access government services online. Any process where identity information is exchanged or shared raises inherent questions...

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IPONZ has introduced a new case management system for trade marks and designs today. The new system is an intuitive, easy-to-use web interface allowing users to search, apply and manage all trade mark and design cases online. The new system has been implemented in line with...

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A bill proposing controls on legal aid in Family Courts proceedings is misleading about the savings it will deliver and should be deferred until a report on a major review of the Family Courts is presented to the Minister of Justice in March. New Zealand Law Society President Jonathan Temm has...

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Changes to family legal aid proposed in a bill before Parliament will have a major impact on access to justice, the New Zealand Law Society says. Presenting a submission on the Legal Assistance (Sustainability) Amendment Bill, Caroline Hannan of the Law Society’s Family Law Section said...

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A new bill aimed at establishing an environmental regime for New Zealand’s Exclusive Economic Zone and continental shelf should be amended to make it consistent with the Resource Management Act 1991 and international law, the New Zealand Law Society says. The Law Society submission on...

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The Government’s commitment to progressing Treaty settlements is being boosted by extended House sitting hours and utilising cognate bill options, Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Christopher Finlayson said today. Mr Finlayson welcomed the decision of Parliament’s Business...

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The Law society has approved a new levy for barristers and solicitors applying to practise on their own account, From 1 April 2012 they will be charged a levy of $250, including GST. The levy is being charged to cover what the law society says is the cost of the substantial amount of...

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The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) today confirmed that it had commenced a formal investigation into gold and precious metal trading company, Grace Holdings NZ Ltd, trading as Bullion.Buyer.co.nz. Serious Fraud Office (SFO) Chief Executive Adam Feeley said the media reports late last week of...

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Transport legislation to modernise and simplify the road user charges (RUC) system has passed in Parliament. Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee said the Road User Charges Bill 2010 will reduce compliance costs for transport operators and ultimately reduce transport costs for businesses and...

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Land Information Minister Maurice Williamson and Associate Finance Minister Jonathan Coleman said today’s High Court judgment on the judicial review of Shanghai Pengxin’s bid to acquire the 16 Crafar farms provides a new judicial interpretation of complex legislation. Read more

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It is not difficult to feel averse to plans for a 15-level structure that will house a brothel opposite the Sky Tower. The sequence of events that led to the demolition of the historic Palace Hotel, on which site this building will stand, has left a bad taste in the mouth. The Chow brothers'...

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Fraudsters and criminals are among those with permanent residence status who are being deported or facing deportation. In the 2010-11 period, 57 of those with residence permits had their status revoked or had been issued with deportation orders because of criminal offences or failing to meet...

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Arbitration has begun over rent payments on the country's largest, most valuable Maori leasehold inner-city land. Ngati Whatua O Orakei Maori Trust Board is formally attempting to reach settlement with owners of the first two buildings on its Auckland's waterfront land. At issue is what...

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Angry Coromandel landowners are demanding the Waikato Regional Council stop "invading" their properties and are fighting plans to place restrictions on private land. The landowners are furious the Waikato Regional Council has identified their properties as being outstanding natural...

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The Ministry of Justice is seeking views on a proposed new fee framework for payments to ACC legal aid lawyers. The framework is one of several changes being made to the legal aid system in order to make it more sustainable, and improve the quality of service provided to people who are...

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FMA has previously consulted on proposed requirements for accredited bodies under the Auditor Regulation Act 2011, and has incorporated feedback from that consultation into this consultation paper. A summary of the feedback can be downloaded below. This consultation paper represents the second,...

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The Ministry of Justice is seeking views on a proposed new fee framework for payments to family legal aid lawyers. The framework is one of several changes being made to the legal aid system in order to make it more sustainable, and improve the quality of service provided to people who are...

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The Law Commission has proposed ditching trials by a full jury of 12 in favour of trials by a judge and two semi-professional jurors to allow more evidence, such as previous convictions, to be used. In a consultation paper on alternative trial systems, the commission sets out a range of...

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An Indian woman who came to New Zealand in 2002 on a false passport that she subsequently used to obtain residence, citizenship and a New Zealand passport now faces possible deportation. Harleen Singh, aged 29, of Mt Wellington, was sentenced by the Auckland District Court today to 10...

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The Law Commission is seeking views on how criminal trials are conducted and whether there may be better ways to serve the interests of justice – particularly in cases involving sexual offending. This consultation comes after the Government asked the Law Commission to conduct a...

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Application that 1946 book Tintin in the Congo intended to incite racial hatred rejected, but Congolese complainant plans appeal A Belgian court has rejected an application to ban a colonial-era book about the Congolese adventures of the cartoon character Tintin for breaching racism laws....

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Alleged bribery in Britain could fall foul of US law as editor Dominic Mohan tries to rally staff at embattled tabloid Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation faces the increased prospect of a full-blown inquiry by US authorities as part of the continuing investigation into alleged bribery of public...

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Courts Minister Chester Borrows today welcomed the opening of a new-look lobby at the Manukau District Court. The design repositions the court’s baggage x-ray unit at a new purpose built entrance to the building. It creates a better flow of people through the lobby and on to the defined...

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Debate on street prostitution is about revive at Parliament. A bill that will allow Auckland Council to ban street prostitution in specific places is to be considered by the local government select committee. Other city councils including Christchurch are expected to show interest and may...

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Auckland Council is having second thoughts about leaving decisions on a high-rise brothel's resource consent to non-elected officials. Last month, the Herald reported that a non-notified approval was being sought for resource consents for a 15-storey building on the site of the now demolished...

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Auckland Transport says the two-wheel personal transport machine is classified as a motor vehicle because of its motor capacity, and is illegal to use on public roads without registration, licensing and a warrant of fitness. Agents at inner-city real estate agency James Law Realty are being...

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People who make significant gifts to the city should be guaranteed they will not be sold off, says Auckland Council member Mike Lee. He and others have called for the draft Auckland Plan to strengthen and encourage philanthropy as being vital for arts, culture and heritage to flourish. In...

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Consumer Affairs Minister Chris Tremain is pleased that the Consumer Law Reform Bill passed its first reading today. “The Consumer Law Reform Bill is a vital update to New Zealand’s consumer laws and another step towards implementing the Government’s 120-point Economic...

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The release today of the technical report into the collapse of the CTV building in Christchurch will be a tough day for the friends and families of those who lost their lives in the building, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee and Building and Construction Minister Maurice...

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Waikato Regional Council gave multiple warnings to the city council over spilling sewage into the Waikato River before deciding to prosecute, a city councillor revealed yesterday. Hamilton City Council's operations and performance committee meeting yesterday criticised the way the regional...

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Iwi leaders say they will not write off pursuing water ownership as the Government scrambles to unlink the issue from the partial asset sales programme. Finance Minister Bill English met major tribal groupings from Tainui, Tauranga Moana and Te Arawa in Rotorua and Hamilton yesterday on the...

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The New Zealand Law Society’s Board has approved a procedure for enforcement of costs and fines orders made through the Lawyers Complaints Service. The procedure will be followed after all Lawyers Standards Committee, Legal Complaints Review Office and New Zealand Lawyers and...

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The proposed Economic Exclusive Zone legislation has some significant flaws that undermine its environmental purpose the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Dr Jan Wright told select committee today. The legislation is intended to regulate activities in the EEZ such as deepwater oil...

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Rupert Murdoch firm settles 21 cases to avoid civil trials as 50 public figures start claims over hacking at News of the World The footballer Peter Crouch, the singer James Blunt, and Ukip's leader, Nigel Farage, are among 50 public figures preparing fresh phone hacking cases against Rupert...

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Social media undoubtedly poses a challenge for enforcement, but the Contempt of Court Act is a sound piece of legislation It is not always easy to balance freedom of expression with the needs of the justice system. As attorney general I see my role as defender both of press freedom and of...

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A Doncaster man who said on Twitter that he would blow up a snowbound airport if it was not reopened in time for him to fly to see his girlfriend will appeal to the high court in London on Wednesday to overturn a criminal conviction for menacing use of a public communication system. Lawyers...

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A writer and Occupy Wall Street activist whose tweets have become the subject of a subpoena by a New York prosecutor is seeking to quash the order in court. A lawyer for Malcolm Harris, 23, who was arrested along with 700 protesters on the Brooklyn bridge last October, filed a motion on...

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The UN's highest court has confirmed that Germany has legal immunity from being sued in foreign courts by victims of Nazi atrocities. The international court of justice said that Italy's supreme court violated Germany's sovereignty in 2008 by judging that an Italian civilian, Luigi Ferrini,...

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Though the first alternative business structure (ABS) has yet to be announced – 92 have so far applied, with the first likely to receive its licence later this month – the ball is starting to roll, and personal injury is the first area of legal practice targeted by new entrants to the...

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A bill which makes offending against Police and Corrections officers an aggravating factor at sentencing passed its second reading in Parliament today. Justice Minister Judith Collins says the Sentencing (Aggravating Factors) Amendment Bill shows the Government is taking assaults against...

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The Government will increase the minimum wage from $13 to $13.50 an hour, Minister of Labour Kate Wilkinson announced today. The training and new entrants’ minimum wages will increase from $10.40 to $10.80 (or 80% of the adult minimum wage). “Those working full time on the...

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National will consider supporting legislation to "Monday-ise" Anzac Day and Waitangi Day holidays, Labour Minister Kate Wilkinson says. Labour MP David Clark yesterday had his Holidays (Full Recognition of Waitangi Day and Anzac Day) Amendment Bill drawn from the members' bill...

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The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, today elected a new President and Vice-President, who will each serve a term of three years. Judge Peter Tomka (Slovakia) was elected as President and Judge Bernardo Sepúlveda-Amor (Mexico) as...

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Internal Affairs Minister Amy Adams has welcomed the first reading of a bill that will make it easier for people to verify their identities to government agencies. The Electronic Identity Verification Bill will provide people using the Internet with the option of an easy and secure way to...

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The Governor-General has amended the reporting dates for the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Building Failure caused by Canterbury Earthquakes, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today. The Royal Commission’s report will now be delivered in parts, to allow the fullest...

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On Cabinet’s advice, the Governor-General has extended the reporting date for the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Pike River mine tragedy to 28 September 2012, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today. The Commissioners were originally due to report back by 31 March...

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  Nobody owns water and that is not up for negotiation - Prime Minister John Key and Deputy Prime Minister Bill English made their position clear yesterday as they battled more potential strife on the proposed part-sale of state-owned energy companies. A claim was lodged in the...

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Some cruise ships could come under pressure to clean up their act as officials say their low-grade, dirty fuel emissions are compounding Auckland's air pollution problem. With a new $27 million cruise ship terminal planned on Auckland's waterfront and the luxury cruise market still growing,...

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Parliament has resumed for its first sitting of 2012. State asset sales, the Rena disaster, and the potential Crafar farms sale are among the topics the Government will be tested on in the year's first Question Time today. Greens co-leader Russel Norman is questioning State Owned...

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The embattled owners of a group of subsiding homes are going to court against their council after it appealed a rare and drastic determination by the Department of Building and Housing. The owners of three recently built homes in a subdivision near Rotorua say they have been battling since the...

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