Displaying 169 - 192 of 334 results.

Justice Minister Judith Collins has today announced extra support for the victims of serious crime funded by the Victims’ Offender Levy.

The $50 levy is imposed on all offenders at the point of sentencing and contributes to support services for victims of crime.

Ms Collins says it’s critical that victims get the support they need to be part of the justice process, and to help them recover and rebuild their lives.

“This Government is committed to putting victims at the heart of our justice system,” Ms Collins says.

  • Judith Collins
  • Justice

Justice Minister Judith Collins today welcomed a Justice and Electoral Select Committee report on the Family Court Reform Bill.

“I acknowledge the work of the select committee, which has reviewed the Bill in light of nearly 400 written submissions and more than 200 oral submissions,” Ms Collins says.

“The changes support a Family Court that protects vulnerable people, provides fast and efficient resolution to private family disputes and puts the needs of children first.

  • Judith Collins
  • Justice

Justice Minister Judith Collins will this week introduce a bill to Parliament creating a new order to protect victims of serious violent and sexual offences.

Ms Collins said the Victims’ Orders Against Violent Offenders Bill will help reduce the likelihood of victims having unwanted contact with the serious violent and sexual offenders who have offended against them.

  • Judith Collins
  • Justice

Justice Minister Judith Collins will this week introduce a bill to Parliament increasing maximum penalties for child sexual abuse online and other objectionable publication offences.

Ms Collins says the Objectionable Publications and Indecency Legislation Bill shows the Government’s commitment to crack down on the production, trade and possession of material showing child sexual abuse online. 

The Bill also includes other measures to provide greater protection for children from child sexual exploitation.

  • Judith Collins
  • Justice

Justice Minister Judith Collins says leave to appeal the recent Court of Appeal decision that the process for implementing the fixed fees policy for criminal legal aid payments was unlawful has been filed in the Supreme Court.

“I am pleased the Court of Appeal found the fixed fees policy in itself is not unreasonable and that cutting the spiralling costs of legal aid is a lawful purpose of the Legal Services Act 2011,” Ms Collins says.

  • Judith Collins
  • Justice

Good afternoon

It’s a pleasure to be here today to officially open the Ethnic People In Commerce Conference for 2013.

It’s fantastic to see so many of you turn out to support today’s event!

And it’s great to see so many familiar faces.
For those who attended last year’s conference, I’m sure you’ll agree EPIC NZ is a wonderful networking opportunity for all New Zealand’s ethnic and mainstream business leaders.

  • Judith Collins
  • Ethnic Affairs

Ethnic Affairs Minister Judith Collins has today announced the Government’s plan to extend the Office of Ethnic Affairs’ Language Line telephone interpreting service to private sector organisations.

Language Line currently offers immediate access to interpreters speaking 44 languages to help people who speak little or no English communicate with government agencies.

  • Judith Collins
  • Ethnic Affairs

Justice Minister Judith Collins has expressed her sadness at the sudden loss of Supreme Court Judge, the Honourable Justice Robert Chambers.

“I am extremely sad to learn of the sudden death of Justice Robert Chambers.

“He was renowned across the profession as one of New Zealand’s greatest legal brains. His sudden death at such a young age is a significant loss to the legal community.

  • Judith Collins
  • Justice

Justice Minister Judith Collins today opened a new multi-jurisdictional Customer Service Centre and marked the returning of full registry services to the District and High Courts in central Christchurch.

The new centre in Durham Street provides a one-stop-shop for the Ministry of Justice, and will manage face-to-face customer interactions with court customers and lawyers for the District Court and the High Court.

  • Judith Collins
  • Justice

Budget 2013 supports the Government’s target of further reducing reoffending by 25 per cent by 2017, Justice Minister Judith Collins says.

The Ministry of Justice has received $4.4 million in operating funding over two years from the Justice Sector Fund to extend restorative justice services by an additional 2,400 conferences by 2014/15.

This will bring the total number of restorative justice conferences to 3,600 each year.

  • Judith Collins
  • Justice
  • Budget 2013

Continuing improvements in ACC provide an opportunity for significant levy reductions to benefit businesses and households, ACC Minister Judith Collins says.

“The Government is confident that a decrease in ACC levies is sustainable and is allowing for a reduction of around $300 million for 2014/15, increasing to a reduction of around $1 billion in 2015/16,” Ms Collins says.

This follows a $630 million reduction in levies for households and businesses in 2012/13.

  • Judith Collins
  • ACC
  • Budget 2013

Justice Minister Judith Collins says the fact that political parties cannot agree makes it impossible to make any changes to our MMP voting system.

“Opposition parties have said the Government is deliberately ignoring the recommendations of the Electoral Commission. This is simply not true – all parties have their own agendas and have selected which recommendations they will support, and which they won’t.

“All parties in Parliament are responsible to the public on the Electoral Commission’s review of MMP.

  • Judith Collins
  • Justice

Good afternoon.

Thank you for the invitation to speak to you today. It’s great to be here.

The International Association of Women Judges is an association of great ability, accomplishment and potential.

  • Judith Collins
  • Justice

Justice Minister Judith Collins says a new law passed in Parliament tonight protects the Public Trust from having to wear the costs of stepping in to replace the trustees of failed finance companies.

Ms Collins says previously the Trustee Act allowed the High Court to appoint Public Trust as replacement trustee ‘of last resort’ for any trustee that wished to retire or resign, without the Public Trust’s agreement.

  • Judith Collins
  • Justice

Justice Minister Judith Collins today introduced to Parliament a bill to shield the Public Trust from wearing the costs of having to step in to replace the trustees of failed finance companies.

Ms Collins says an out-dated ‘last resort’ rule in the Trustee Act (1956) means the trustees of failed finance companies can apply to the High Court to have the Public Trust replace them, without Public Trust’s agreement.

  • Judith Collins
  • Justice

An Act protecting the safety and privacy of jurors and streamlining the jury system takes effect today.

Justice Minister Judith Collins says the Juries (Jury Service and Protection of Particulars of Jury List Information) Amendment Act brings much needed changes to the jury system.

“Jury service is an important civic duty and those who are summoned deserve to feel safe,” Ms Collins says.

  • Judith Collins
  • Justice

Modifications to the proposed Family Court reforms support the Government’s key priorities and will ensure the family justice system works well for those who need it, says Justice Minister Judith Collins.

“This Government has three priorities driving the reform of the Family Court - we are committed to creating a Court that protects vulnerable people, provides fast and efficient resolution of private disputes, and as a priority, puts the needs of children first.

  • Judith Collins
  • Justice

Justice Minister Judith Collins today announced the reappointment of five members of the Real Estate Agents Authority and the appointment of one new member.

Those reappointed to the Authority are:

  • John Auld of New Plymouth
  • Barrie Barnes of Auckland
  • Denise Bovaird of Auckland
  • Joan Harnett-Kindley of Wanaka
  • David Russell of Wellington

The new appointee to the Authority is Aaron Bhatnagar of Auckland. 

  • Judith Collins
  • Justice

Justice Minister Judith Collins has been invited to study at the prestigious John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and will join its Leadership Decision Making program from 23-28 June.

Ms Collins says the week long course presents a valuable opportunity to work alongside a diverse and accomplished group of leaders from around the world.

“This is a fantastic opportunity I am thrilled to accept. I am a firm believer in the significant contribution continued learning makes to leadership.

  • Judith Collins
  • Justice

Justice Minister Judith Collins today released the latest justice sector Better Public Services (BPS) target results to December 2012, showing significant progress is being made against each target.

Ms Collins says results show there has been a 9 per cent reduction in total crime rate (down from 983 to 891 crimes per 10,000 people) and a 7 per cent reduction in violent crime (down from 109 to 102 crimes per 10,000 people).

Youth crime is also down 14 per cent (down from 332 to 286 per 10,000 young people) and re-offending is down by 8 per cent.

  • Judith Collins
  • Justice

Justice Minister Judith Collins has today unveiled the Government’s proposals towards modernising the legal framework for many of New Zealand’s courts.

The proposals are in response to recommendations made by the Law Commission in its recent report Review of the Judicature Act 1908: Towards a new Courts Act.

Ms Collins says the changes will help enhance public confidence in the justice system.

  • Judith Collins
  • Justice

Justice Minister Judith Collins says the Legal Assistance (Sustainability) Amendment Bill, which passed its second reading in Parliament today, is another step towards a fairer and more sustainable legal aid system.

“This Bill reinforces access to justice. It strikes the best balance between ensuring the financial viability of the legal aid system, and ensuring the most vulnerable people in society are protected.

  • Judith Collins
  • Justice

Justice Minister Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Dr Jackie Blue as the Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO) Commissioner.

“I congratulate Dr Blue on her appointment as EEO Commissioner for the Human Rights Commission,” Ms Collins says.

“The EEO Commissioner has an important role to play in championing EEO principles, issues and practices in New Zealand as well as appreciating their relationship to social, economic and labour market trends.

  • Judith Collins
  • Justice

Justice Minister Judith Collins announced today the Government will provide an additional $12.1 million in funding for community law centres (CLCs).

The Government top-up over the next two years will bridge a significant on-going shortfall in community law centres’ funding.

Ms Collins says the gap is the result of the CLCs’ traditional source of funding, the Lawyers and Conveyancers Special Fund, halving since 2008.

“I’m very pleased the Government has been able to provide CLCs with certainty for the next two years,” Ms Collins said.

  • Judith Collins
  • Justice