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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Justice Minister Judith Collins has today paid tribute to the late former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

“Baroness Thatcher was a highly intelligent, brave, formidable woman who led Britain from what were very difficult times to greater prosperity and economic certainty,” Ms Collins says.

“She was Britain’s first, and remains the only, female Prime Minister, a wife and doting mother and grandmother.

“I respect her for being a woman of conviction who stood firmly for individuals, families and for Britain.

The Government is seeking public feedback on proposals for Inland Revenue to share some information with other government agencies to help fight serious crime, Revenue Minister Peter Dunne, Justice Minister Judith Collins and Police Minister Anne Tolley announced today.

Justice Minister Judith Collins today tabled in Parliament the Law Commission’s report The 2013 Review of the Evidence Act 2006.

“I would like to thank the Law Commission for its thorough review of the Evidence Act 2006,” Ms Collins said.

The review builds on the earlier work that resulted in the 2006 Act. The new report provides a comprehensive summary of the evolution and interpretation of the law of evidence in New Zealand.

Justice Minister Judith Collins has announced a raft of new proposals to hold cyber bullies to account for their bullying and harmful online behaviour.

“I am pleased to have developed a set of measures that aim to stop the growing incidence of cyber bullying and its devastating effects, particularly for young people.

“Many New Zealanders share my serious concerns about this problem as the reach and impact of bullying has increased considerably in the digital age.

Justice Minister Judith Collins has tabled in Parliament today the Law Commission’s report on regulation of the news media in the digital age.

The report, The News Media Meets ‘New Media’: Rights, Responsibilities and Regulation in the Digital Age, provides the Law Commission’s recommendations for updating laws regulating our media for the digital era.

The Government will examine the report’s recommendations and seek views from the media industry before formally responding to the report later this year.

Statistics released by the Ministry of Justice today show the number of people being charged in court has reduced by more than 20 per cent since 2009, Justice Minister Judith Collins says.

The Conviction and Sentencing Statistics, published on the Statistics New Zealand website, show 98,783 people appeared in court in 2012, down 7 per cent from 2011 and 22 per cent from 2009.