Displaying 1 - 24 of 230 results.

Auckland barrister David Smith has been appointed a Judge of the District Court with a jury warrant and a Family Court warrant, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today. 

Judge Smith was admitted to the bar in 1974.  His practice as a barrister sole in Auckland comprises relationship property, employment, leaky buildings work and criminal work with the remainder being a wide range of civil matters, mostly in the High Court.

  • Christopher Finlayson
  • Attorney-General

Auckland barrister Pippa Sinclair has been appointed as a District Court Judge to serve in North Shore, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

Judge Sinclair was admitted to the bar in 1987. She has been practising as a staff solicitor and barrister in Auckland for over 22 years and warranted as a District Inspector for Mental Health Services for four years.

  • Christopher Finlayson
  • Attorney-General

The Crown has signed an Agreement in Principle towards settling the historical Treaty of Waitangi claims of the Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki iwi, Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Christopher Finlayson announced today.

Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki suffered significant Treaty breaches including land loss through raupatu and significant Crown taking of ‘surplus lands’ from old land claims such as the Fairburn Purchase that left them effectively landless from the 1880s. Today Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki retain less than 1% of their original land.

  • Christopher Finlayson
  • Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations

Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson today announced four re-appointments and one new appointment as lay members of the High Court under the Commerce Act. 

Lay members assist the Court in cases involving appeals from decisions of the Commerce Commission and in other matters under the Commerce Act, and must have specialist knowledge or experience in industry, commerce, economics, law, or accountancy.

  • Christopher Finlayson
  • Attorney-General

Auckland businessman Evan Williams has been appointed as a member of the board of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa, the Minister for Arts Culture and Heritage Christopher Finlayson announced today.

“Mr Williams’ international experience at the highest level in commercial law, communication, negotiation, financing and corporate governance will be an asset to the Board in its future development” Mr Finlayson said.

  • Christopher Finlayson
  • Arts, Culture and Heritage

The Crown and Tāmaki Collective* have signed a Record of Agreement of the agreements reached in settlement negotiations to this point, Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Christopher Finlayson announced today.

“The Record of Agreement is a significant milestone and will form the basis for a deed of settlement about the Collective members’ shared interests to be initialled at a later date,” Mr Finlayson said.

  • Christopher Finlayson
  • Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations

The Crown signed a Deed of Settlement for all outstanding historical Treaty claims with Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei today, Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Christopher Finlayson announced.

The deed was signed in a ceremony on Auckland’s Okahu Bay. The Crown was represented by Mr Finlayson, Minister of Defence (and Auckland MP) Dr Wayne Mapp, Minister of Maori Affairs Hon Pita Sharples, and Associate Minister of Maori Affairs Hon Georgina te Heuheu. Maungakiekie MP Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga also attended.

  • Christopher Finlayson
  • Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations

Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Chris Finlayson today announced the establishment of a 76 hectare reserve for the people of Wellington and New Zealand on the iconic Miramar Peninsula.

The new reserve area, known as Watts Peninsula, is a prominent Wellington landmark at the northern tip of the Miramar Peninsula and a historically significant part of New Zealand.

  • Christopher Finlayson
  • Arts, Culture and Heritage

A report on released today shows that public prosecution services are generally effective and efficient, but there are opportunities for improvements, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson said today.

The review, by John Spencer, was initiated in March 2011 to determine whether prosecutions brought by public sector agencies could be delivered in a more cost-effective and sustainable manner at the same or higher quality levels.

  • Christopher Finlayson
  • Attorney-General

The Crown and Whanganui iwi have signed a Record of Understanding which will act as the foundation for negotiating a settlement of historical grievances associated with the Whanganui River, Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Christopher Finlayson and Environment Minister Nick Smith announced today.

“This is a commitment by both parties to work together to settle grievances which iwi have tried to have addressed by the Crown and the Courts since 1873.

  • Nick Smith
  • Christopher Finlayson
  • Environment
  • Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations

The interim report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Building Failure caused by Canterbury Earthquakes has been released today by the Attorney-General, Christopher Finlayson.

Under its terms of reference, the Royal Commission of Inquiry was required to make an interim report report by 11 October, in advance of its findings in April 2012.

The interim report was presented by the Royal Commission of Inquiry to the Governor-General on Monday.

  • Christopher Finlayson
  • Attorney-General
  • Earthquake Recovery

Changes to a production funding scheme will enable more New Zealand feature films to be brought to production over the next two years and will support the sustainability of the local screen industry, says Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Chris Finlayson.

Mr Finlayson announced today that the Qualifying New Zealand Production Expenditure (QNZPE) threshold for feature films to qualify for the Screen Production Incentive Fund (SPIF) has been lowered from $4 million per production to $2.5 million.

  • Christopher Finlayson
  • Arts, Culture and Heritage

A review will commence in October 2011 on the scope and focus of the Solicitor-General’s role and the operating model of the Crown Law Office, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

“The purpose of the review is to consider all aspects of the roles and functions of the Solicitor-General and determine how these could be discharged most effectively and efficiently, reflecting the constitutional context, and including the organisational support for the role and functions,” Mr Finlayson said.

  • Christopher Finlayson
  • Attorney-General

A bill that improves the governance and operation of the New Zealand Historic Places Trust was introduced to Parliament has been introduced to Parliament by Arts Culture and Heritage Minister Christopher Finlayson.

The bill replaces, and modernises the intent of, the Historic Places Act to improve the regulatory framework for archaeological heritage, and improve the balance between heritage interests, private ownership interests and economic development objectives.

The Bill:

  • Christopher Finlayson
  • Arts, Culture and Heritage

Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson today welcomed the Justice and Electoral Select Committee’s report to Parliament recommending the Video Camera Surveillance (Temporary Measures) Bill be passed as a priority.

Passing the Bill will mean Police are able to resume operations involving covert video surveillance of serious offenders. All police covert video surveillance on private property was halted following a Supreme Court decision on 2 September that almost all such operations were illegal.

  • Christopher Finlayson
  • Attorney-General

Representatives of New Zealand’s largest iwi, Ngapuhi, have agreed that the tribe must have unity, following a meeting with Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Christopher Finlayson on Friday.

Representatives of Tuhoronuku, which has been seeking a mandate to represent the iwi in negotiations with the Crown, and the Kotahitanga group, met with Mr Finlayson on Friday to collectively discuss the future of Ngapuhui’s settlement process.

  • Christopher Finlayson
  • Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations

The Crown today signed a Deed of Settlement for all historical Treaty claims with the Tūranga iwi Rongowhakaata, Treaty Negotiations Minister Christopher Finlayson announced.

The Deed was initialled in Te Hau ki Tūranga, an elaborately carved Rongowhakaata whare whakairo currently held in Te Papa, in July. It has since been ratified by the people of Rongowhakaata with an approval rate of 95%.

  • Christopher Finlayson
  • Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations

“Charles Chauvel's draft SOP for the Video Camera Surveillance (Temporary Measures) Bill demonstrates the danger of taking parts of draft legislation out of the context in which they were drafted,” Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson says.

“Mr Chauvel has, apparently inadvertently, drafted his SOP using large sections of the Search and Surveillance Bill as introduced to Parliament, rather than as reported back from Select Committee last year," Mr Finlayson said. "This has created some serious problems in what he proposes.”

  • Christopher Finlayson
  • Attorney-General

Mr Speaker, I move that the Video Surveillance (Temporary Measures) Bill be now read a first time.

  • Christopher Finlayson
  • Attorney-General

A Bill to preserve the legal position of covert video surveillance will be introduced to the House tomorrow by Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson.

The Video Camera Surveillance (Temporary Measures) Bill will express Parliament’s intent that any lawful search in which covert video surveillance is used is not unlawful just because of that surveillance.

The bill does not provide any legal power that did not exist before the Supreme Court decision of 2 September to use covert video surveillance.

  • Christopher Finlayson
  • Attorney-General

The Crown today signed an agreement in principle towards settling historical Treaty of Waitangi claims with the Maungaharuru Tangitu hapū from the Hawke’s Bay, Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Christopher Finlayson announced today.

“The Maungaharuru Tangitu hapū were subjected to extensive land confiscations in the Mohaka/Waikare area and were wrongfully detained following military engagement with the Crown,” Mr Finlayson said. “This agreement will help right the wrongs of the past and help hapū build strong futures.”

  • Christopher Finlayson
  • Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations

A film co-production agreement between New Zealand and South Africa will benefit the creative industries in both countries, Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Christopher Finlayson said today.

Mr Finlayson and the South African Minister for Arts and Culture Paul Mashatile signed the agreement at a ceremony in Wellington on Sunday.

  • Christopher Finlayson
  • Arts, Culture and Heritage

The Crown signed a Deed of Settlement to settle Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara’s historical Treaty of Waitangi claims at Aotea/Shelley Beach today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Christopher Finlayson announced.

The Deed was signed at a ceremony at Aotea/Shelly Beach on the shores of the Kaipara Harbour. The Crown was represented by Mr Finlayson and Maori Affairs Minister Dr Pita Sharples.

  • Christopher Finlayson
  • Pita Sharples
  • Maori Affairs
  • Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations

Justice Minister Simon Power and Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson today visited the Nga Hau e Wha Marae in Bromley, which is being used as a temporary courthouse following the Canterbury earthquakes.

The marae has been hearing both criminal and family matters since April, and is one of several interim court facilities operating while the main court buildings are unable to be reoccupied.

  • Simon Power
  • Christopher Finlayson
  • Attorney-General
  • Justice
  • Earthquake Recovery