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The Government will carefully consider the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission’s full report and its recommendations, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson and Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson say.

The third and final part of the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission’s report (Volumes 5-7) into the causes of building failures during the earthquake was publicly released by the Government today.

Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson and Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson today released the second part of the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission’s report (Volume 4), which covers a range of practice and policy issues relating to earthquake-prone buildings, particularly how these buildings are identified and managed.

The House today passed a bill to modernise and improve the law regarding publication of legislation, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced.

The Legislation Bill is intended to modernise and improve the law regarding the publication, availability, reprinting, revision, and official versions of legislation, and bring it together into one piece of legislation.

Auckland lawyer Deborah Marshall has been appointed as a Coroner for the Auckland region, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

The government has received the third and final part (comprising volumes 5 to 7) of the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Building Failure Caused by Canterbury Earthquakes, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

Ministers will now consider the third part of the report. An announcement about the public release of the report and the government’s response will be made in due course.

Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson has expressed his condolences on the passing of lawyer Greg King.

“Although young in years, Greg King had already achieved a huge amount in his career,” Mr Finlayson said. “He was a lawyer in the finest traditions of the criminal bar, of the same stature as the likes of Mike Bungay, Kevin Ryan and Roy Stacey.”

“He was a fine advocate and a very nice guy. His early death is very sad, and my deepest sympathies go to his family at this time.”

Government ministers Gerry Brownlee and Christopher Finlayson will present the report of the Royal Commission into the Pike River Coal Mine Tragedy, and the government’s response, to victims’ families in Greymouth on Monday.

Shortly after this private meeting, the report will be released publicly.

Napier solicitor Russell Collins has been appointed as a District Court Judge with a jury warrant to sit in Auckland, and Auckland lawyer Jonathan Down has been appointed as an Acting District Court Judge with general and jury warrants, to sit in Hastings, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

The government has received the report of the Royal Commission on the Pike River Coal Mine Tragedy, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

Ministers will now consider the report and its recommendations. The report will be released, first to victims’ families and then to the public, early next week, along with the government’s response.

Attorney-General, Christopher Finlayson, today announced David Noble has been re-appointed Chief Parliamentary Counsel and Compiler of Statutes for a further term of three years from 5 November 2012, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.  

Mr Noble commenced in the role on 5 November 2007.

Mr Noble is expected to return to New Zealand in June 2013 from his secondment as the Director, Treasury Solicitor’s Department in London. 

Judge Laurence Ryan has been appointed the acting Principal Family Court Judge for a period of six months, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

Judge Ryan will replace Judge Boshier, who joins the Law Commission.

Judge Ryan has served as a Family Court Judge since his appointment in 1996. He sits in Auckland.

Judge Boshier officially retires as Principal Family Court Judge in December 2012. Judge Ryan’s appointment will take effect from 10 November 2012.

The final reporting date for the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Building Failure caused by Canterbury Earthquakes will be 30 November, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

Auckland barrister Anna-Marie Skellern has been appointed as an Acting District Court Judge with jury and Family Court warrants to sit in Hastings, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

The government has received the second part (volume 4 of 7) of the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Building Failure Caused by Canterbury Earthquakes, addressing practice and policy issues relating to earthquake-prone buildings, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

Ministers will now consider the second part of the report and its recommendations. An announcement about the government’s response and about the public release of the report will be made in due course.

On Cabinet’s advice, the Governor-General has given the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Pike River mine tragedy two extra months in which to deliver its report, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

The Royal Commission will now be required to report back by 30 November 2012, rather than 28 September 2012.

Attorney-General Chris Finlayson and Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson have thanked the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission for its findings and recommendations outlined in the first part of its final report, released today.

The recommendations focus on a range of technical engineering issues including seismicity, recommendations to change concrete structures, structural steel and earthquake actions standards, providing guidance or training to structural engineers and low-damage building technologies.

Auckland lawyer Sarah Janine Katz has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

Justice Katz graduated from the University of Otago in 1987 and went on to complete an LLM at the University of London, graduating in 1992.

In 1987 Justice Katz commenced practice with Chapman Tripp in Wellington. After working overseas, Justice Katz returned to New Zealand working at Buddle Findlay, becoming Partner in 1997.

Justice Christine Ruth French has been appointed a Judge of the Court of Appeal, Attorney General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

In 2008 Justice French was appointed a Judge of the High Court, based in Christchurch.

She graduated from the University of Otago in 1981 and went on to attend Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship, graduating BCL in 1983.

Justice Susan Glazebrook has been appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

Justice Glazebrook has been a Judge of the Court of Appeal since May 2002. Before being appointed to the High Court in June 2000, she was a partner in the law firm Simpson Grierson, specialising in taxation and finance law, as well as a member of a number of commercial boards and government advisory committees.

Justice Glazebrook’s appointment to the Supreme Court will commence on 6 August 2012.

Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson today announced the appointment of Judge Heemi Taumaunu as a Judge of the Court Martial. Judge Taumaunu was sworn in at Auckland on 21 June 2012.

Judge Taumaunu is of Ngāti Porou and Ngai Tahu descent. He was appointed to the District Court bench in 2004. He holds warrants for the general, jury and youth jurisdictions and also sits in Rangatahi Courts regularly.

The government has received the first part of the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Building Failure Caused by Canterbury Earthquakes, dealing with matters that will inform the rebuild of Christchurch, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

Ministers will now consider the report and its recommendations. An announcement about the government’s response and about the public release of the report will be made in due course.

Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson is attending the fourth annual Quintet meeting of Attorneys-General, being held in Ottawa, Canada, this week.

The annual meeting is also being attended by the Minister for Home Affairs and Justice of Australia, Hon Jason Clare; the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice of Canada, Hon Rob Nicholson PC QC; the Attorney-General of England, Ireland and Wales, the Rt Hon Dominic Grieve QC, and the United States Attorney-General, Eric Holder Jr. It is taking place on the 15th of June.

This morning Labour MP Annette King appeared on television and made allegations about the Operation Eight investigation which occurred when she was Police Minister.

There are three on-going matters in the trials arising out of that operation:

1. The defendants’ sentencing on the firearms charges where guilty verdicts were returned;

2. The possibility of the defendants appealing those guilty verdicts; and

Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson has welcomed the findings of a review of the scope and focus of the Solicitor-General’s role and the operating model of Crown Law, released today.

The review, by Auckland barrister Miriam Dean QC and Simpson Grierson Special Counsel David Cochrane, was commissioned by Mr Finlayson in October last year. The role of the Solicitor-General had previously been looked at in 1986 and 2006.