News

The New Zealand Law Society says it supports the approach of the Law Commission to regulation of the credit industry, and believes all obligations should be included in one piece of legislation. In its comments to the Law Commission on the Commission’s Review of the Credit (Repossession)...

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Reports of spy drones used by media corporations could constitute misuse of private information and harassment The military use of "spy drones" is very well established. United States Air Force drones have now done more than a million "combat hours". Drones have been used...

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The ruling that Australia can no longer send 'boat people' back to Malaysia shows countries cannot dodge their refugee obligations   This week, Australian immigration policy was dealt a significant blow by a judgment of the high court of Australia on the so-called "Malaysia...

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Associate Professor Bill Hodge, of the Auckland University law school, drove straight to the nub of the matter in commenting on the comedian who last week walked free after facing sex charges involving his 4-year-old daughter. "If he'd been an auto mechanic, he would have been down the...

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Christchurch lawyer Marcus Elliott has been appointed Counsel Assisting the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Building Failure Caused by the Canterbury Earthquakes, with a specific focus on representing the interests of victims' families, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson said today....

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Cabinet has signed off the release of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority’s draft Recovery Strategy for public consultation, Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee announced today. "While the initial recovery is well underway in Canterbury, this strategy sets out a...

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More than 9700 residential properties in the Christchurch Port Hills area have been rezoned from white to green, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee announced today. "This means these homeowners can now get on with the process of repairing or rebuilding their homes if...

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An application for bail by convicted Nathans Finance director Roger Moses has been dismissed by the High Court in Auckland. Company chairman Moses was sent to jail for two years and two months last week and ordered to pay $425,000 in reparations, while fellow director Mervyn Doolan was...

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The death of Timaru financier Allan Hubbard makes little difference to the ongoing sale of his businesses - but compassion is being exercised. Kerryn Downey, South Canterbury Finance receiver at McGrathNicol with William Black, said SCF staff numbers were gradually being reduced, offices in...

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Ngapuhi leader David Rankin has called for the University of Auckland to dismiss prominent Maori academic Professor Margaret Mutu, labelling her the "Robert Mugabe of New Zealand politics". Mr Rankin made the comment after Professor Mutu said there should be a cap on the number of...

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The Piha Cafe will offer something stronger than organic icecream from Saturday after succeeding with one of two bids for a liquor licence. Owners Pete and Pattie Dillon were yesterday preparing the rustic 35-seat premises for the on-licence granted by the Auckland Council for one year. This...

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Paul Ceglia, who claims a 2003 contract with Mark Zuckerberg made him a partner in Facebook, said the company's lawyers committed an "egregious and massive violation" of his privacy by publishing his email passwords. Facebook's lawyers, from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, included...

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Labour leader Phil Goff has called on the statutory managers of Allan Hubbard's business affairs to release cash to pay the funeral costs for the South Island financier who was killed in a car accident on Friday. Mr Goff offered his party's condolences to Mr Hubbard's widow Jean who remains in...

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Former counter-terrorism chief is the only British intelligence officer named so far named in the Tripoli files The key figure behind secret co-operation between western spy agencies and the Gaddafi regime – and the only British intelligence officer so far identified in the documents...

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Auckland's volcanic field is again being mooted for Unesco World Heritage status after the Government reignited work that was stalled by Treaty negotiations. New Zealand has three sites with the designation - Tongariro National Park, Sub Antarctic Islands and Te Wahipounamu, which includes...

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Charges have been dropped against musician Tiki Taane after police opted to settle the controversial case out of court. Western Bay of Plenty police Inspector Karl Wright-St Clair said last night that Mr Taane's arrest resulted from a misunderstanding, and that police now respected his right...

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Small-business owners beware - last week's Supreme Court decision on the Christchurch surgeons who used trusts to avoid tax has implications for you. The court decided in favour of Inland Revenue, saying the two surgeons, who gained significant tax savings by channelling income from their...

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The high cost of housing in New Zealand - Auckland especially - is caused by Resource Management Act red tape, says ACT Party leader Don Brash. Home prices had outstripped Canada, Ireland, Britain and the United States, he told the party's Auckland regional conference today Read more

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The trial of five Bridgecorp directors could be delayed until next month after one of the defendants was granted legal aid. The Crown case against Rod Petricevic, Robert Roest, Gary Urwin, Peter Steigrad and Bruce Davidson for allegedly misleading investors about Bridgecorp's financial health...

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The Inland Revenue Department has clarified its stance after a landmark Supreme Court decision in the so-called "Penny and Hooper" tax avoidance case last week. Christchurch orthopaedic surgeons Ian Penny and Gary Hooper used company structures and family trusts to artificially lower...

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The United Nations committee tasked with combating racial discrimination today voiced deep regret at the insistence by United Kingdom authorities that Gypsy and Irish Traveller families in the county of Essex will be evicted with no culturally appropriate alternative accommodation provided to...

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Turkish announcement appears to rebuff attempts by UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon to end its row with Israel Turkey is to challenge Israel's blockade on Gaza at the International Court of Justice, amid a worsening diplomatic crisis between the once close allies. The announcement by...

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While some solicitors regard the legal retail outlets springing up in shopping centres as tacky they can only be good for the public f you're wondering what to get a loved one for their birthday, then look no further than a LawStore gift voucher. "Nothing could be more thoughtful than the...

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Falling out of love replaces infidelity as top cause of marriage breakdown in survey of divorce lawyers Extramarital affairs are no longer the leading reason why couples decide to split up, according to accountancy firm Grant Thornton's latest annual study of divorce in the UK. Instead,...

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After a number of witness mistakes in UK, perhaps judges here should make similar efforts to unpick the tricks memory can play The New Jersey supreme court has raised questions about one of the most powerful tools the prosecution has at its disposal in trial – the eyewitness. Witness...

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 US judge has tossed out a $US1.3 billion dollar award for damages that a jury ordered German business software giant SAP to pay US rival Oracle for copyright infringement. US District Court Judge Phyllis Hamilton referred to the record-setting jury award as "grossly excessive"...

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Microsoft is in the crosshairs of a lawsuit charging that smartphones powered by Windows 7 software noted the whereabouts of users even if they didn't want to be tracked. A suit filed a day earlier on behalf of a woman from the US state of Michigan maintained that Microsoft gathered location...

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Customers of financial institutions and casinos can expect more stringent identity checks in the lead up to 30 June 2013, when anti-money laundering legislation comes fully into force. Businesses now have access to guidance on the standard those identity checks should meet. The Anti-Money...

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A company that misled consumers about what it would really cost them when they used their prepaid phone cards has been fined $100,000 in the Auckland District Court for breaches of the Fair Trading Act. Tel.Pacific New Zealand Ltd pleaded guilty to 33 charges of breaching the Fair Trading Act...

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A man suing for part ownership of Facebook must give lawyers for the social-networking company access to every email he has exchanged since 2003, a federal judge ruled yesterday. Judge Richard Arcara denied Paul Ceglia's request to delay Facebook's access to his emails so he could object on...

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New Zealand is in an advertising lockdown during the Rugby World Cup as vigilant organisers watch out for marketers and advertisers hijacking the tournament's brand. The International Rugby Board, Rugby New Zealand, the Ministry of Economic Development and local councils are working together...

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Internet companies are required to comply with new copyright laws from today and although some say they are ready and waiting, one provider is anxious it could be overwhelmed with extra work. The Government's "three strikes" system requires internet companies to issue warning notices...

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The three men responsible for damaging the Waihopai Valley satellite dome in 2008 are liable for damages, the High Court at Wellington has found. Attorney-General Chris Finlayson, claimed $1.2 million in damages. The amount of damages the defendants may have to pay will be considered at...

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A former chairman of an embattled Coromandel school's Parent Teachers Association says he hopes an investigation into a teacher who allegedly taped pupils' mouths shut will bring about positive changes at the school. David Harvey said the Mercury Bay Area School PTA committee he heard several...

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Housing New Zealand has dropped a $1 million legal bid to evict three women with Mongrel Mob connections from their Lower Hutt state homes. Robyn Winther, Huia Tamaka and Billy Taylor were given 90 days to leave their Farmer Crescent houses in March 2009 after neighbours complained of...

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Waikato Coroner Gordon Matenga has been appointed Acting Chief Coroner from 1 September until 31 October while Judge Neil MacLean is on leave, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today. Coroner Matenga has been hearing evidence at the inquest for the victims of the Christchurch...

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Changes to the Rules of Origin under the Australia New Zealand Closer Economic Relations Trade Agreement (CER), will reduce costs for exporters Customs Minister Maurice Williamson and Trade Minister Tim Groser say. The Rules of Origin determine which products are “New Zealand" or...

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Justice Minister Simon Power and Corrections Minister Judith Collins today welcomed the rollout of court audio-visual links (AVL) to Hamilton. The Hamilton AVL facility links Hamilton District Court with Waikeria Prison and is the second of four court/correction facilities to receive the...

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The government has confirmed a series of Rule changes that will improve the licensing and safety of motorcycle riders. Transport Minister Steven Joyce says the changes will strengthen assessments andtesting to ensure novice motorcyclists are better prepared to drive safely on the road....

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Transport Minister Steven Joyce has signed a Rule that will change the give way rules at intersections from March 2012. He says the changes will help reduce confusion on our roads by removing some of the demands the current rules place on drivers’ decision-making at intersections....

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Christchurch lawyer Matthew Martin has been appointed a member of the Immigration and Protection Tribunal, Associate Justice Minister Nathan Guy announced today. The independent tribunal was established under the Immigration Act 2009 to consider all immigration, deportation, refugee, and...

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The Minister of Māori Affairs, Dr Pita Sharples, today announced the appointment of Ronald Crosby and Kaa Williams to the Waitangi Tribunal, each for a term of three years. Ronald Crosby and Kaa Williams are new appointees to the Waitangi Tribunal, and they will join Dr Richard Hill, Dr Monty...

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The three men who sabotaged a radar dome at Marlborough's Waihopai Valley spybase in 2008 should be liable to pay damages of $1.2 million, according to a High Court decision. The High Court has awarded the Crown the right to pursue the three men who broke into the Spy Base for damages. Read...

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An Auckland business broker has lost his chance to argue for an insurance payout from AMI after a fire at his Epsom house which had weathertightness issues. Paul Devcich cannot go to the Supreme Court after yesterday's decision. Read more

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New Zealand is in an advertising lockdown during the Rugby World Cup as organisers keep a vigilant eye out for marketers and advertisers hijacking the tournament's brand. The International Rugby Board, Rugby New Zealand, the Ministry of Economic Development and local councils across the...

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New legislation and an agreement with New Zealand Post means that igovt services are set for expansion across the public sector, and potentially into the private sector, says Internal Affairs Minister Nathan Guy. “The Electronic Identity Verification Bill has been introduced to...

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Cabinet has approved regulations to support the licensing regime for trustees and statutory supervisors, Commerce Minister Simon Power announced today. The Securities Trustees and Statutory Supervisors Act 2011 creates a licensing regime for all corporate trustees, including trustees of...

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Two tax bills guided through Parliament by Revenue Minister Peter Dunne have now been enacted. The Taxation (Tax Administration and Remedial Matters) Bill and the Student Loan Scheme Bill received Royal Assent yesterday. Mr Dunne said both pieces of legislation are significant for New...

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Legal change could make authorities liable for large fines over deaths in custody Police forces, prisons and youth detention centres face prosecution for corporate homicide from this week if an individual dies in their custody. In the 10 years between 1999 and 2009, 333 people died in or...

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Adrift in a sea of lawsuits as shareholders sue for millions, the bank is a soft target for mocking critics He is known as "Jaws", the perfect nickname for a lawyer entangled in a lawsuit filed against a massive investment bank that has been dubbed a "vampire squid" by its...

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