Displaying 1 - 24 of 56 results.

Court services in Oamaru have a new home, with the official opening of the purpose-built Oamaru Hearing Court in Humber Street, Courts Minister Chester Borrows said today.

“This facility provides a cost-effective solution for court services in Oamaru,” says Mr Borrows.

“While our first choice was always to get back into the old courthouse, this facility balances our need to be responsible in the way we spend taxpayer money with the need to provide a suitable venue for court.”

  • Chester Borrows
  • Courts

Courts Minister Chester Borrows today introduced a Coroners Amendment Bill to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the coronial system. 

“Coroners have an important and difficult job to do, and I am pleased to introduce legislation that better supports their role”, says Mr Borrows.

  • Chester Borrows
  • Courts

Courts Minister Chester Borrows has welcomed the announcement of a South Island building company as the main contractor in the next stage of the Dunedin Court complex’s refurbishment.

Amalgamated Builders Construction Ltd will undertake the work on the 184 High St building that provides further courtrooms with support and custodial areas, in addition to the already operating jury court.

  • Chester Borrows
  • Courts

The Ministry of Justice has collected $4.6 million in just four months from people who risked being banned from driving under a tough new enforcement tool for overdue fines, Courts Minister Chester Borrows says.

Driver Licence Stop Orders (DLSOs) can be placed on anyone who fails to pay traffic-related fines imposed by a Court, Police or local government authority – or reparations imposed by a Court for traffic-related offences.

  • Chester Borrows
  • Courts

Legislative changes aimed at further improving courts and tribunals have been unveiled by Courts Minister Chester Borrows today, as a part of the Government’s ongoing modernisation of the justice system.

The proposals aim to update a wide range of older legislation that has failed to keep pace with modern practice.

  • Chester Borrows
  • Courts

Courts Minister Chester Borrows and Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne announced today that the Government has agreed to the recommendations in the Law Commission’s recent report on suicide reporting.

The Government asked the Commission to review the issue, including the role of social media in discussing suicide.

The Law Commission’s report, released in April, recommended a number of changes to clarify and improve the law governing suicide reporting. Its proposals included revised reporting restrictions focused on the details most likely to cause harm.

  • Peter Dunne
  • Chester Borrows
  • Health
  • Courts

Corrections Minister Anne Tolley and Courts Minister Chester Borrows today welcomed the addition of the Whangarei, Nelson and Hutt Valley courts to the audio visual link (AVL) network connecting courts and prisons.

The new links are the latest in a $27.8 million upgrade programme, which is expanding AVL links to a total of 18 courts and 13 prisons by 2015.

  • Chester Borrows
  • Anne Tolley
  • Courts
  • Corrections

Courts Minister Chester Borrows says changes which come into effect today will improve the process for people recovering debt owed following a civil court case.

The changes, made under the District Courts Amendment Act 2011, streamline the debt recovery process to make it faster, easier and cheaper for creditors, debtors, their representatives and the courts and tribunals.

“One of this Government’s most important priorities has been to support business so they have the confidence to hire another person, or invest another dollar,” says Mr Borrows.

  • Chester Borrows
  • Courts

Courts Minister Chester Borrows and Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne have welcomed the Law Commission’s report reviewing the rules that govern how the media report on suspected suicides.

The Government asked the Law Commission to conduct the review examining this issue and to look at the role of social media in discussing suicide.

“I would like to thank the Law Commission for its thorough assessment of the law governing this very delicate subject,” says Mr Borrows.

  • Peter Dunne
  • Chester Borrows
  • Health
  • Courts

Courts Minister Chester Borrows has heralded the establishment of a new Rangatahi Court at Ngā Hau e Whā Marae in Christchurch as a positive step for addressing youth offending in Christchurch.

Rangatahi Courts operate within the existing youth court model, but allow court sessions to monitor the progress of court-convened Family Group Conferences to be held at the marae rather than at the courthouse.

  • Chester Borrows
  • Courts

People with unpaid fines or reparation for traffic-related offences could find themselves barred from driving under powerful new sanctions which come into effect this month, Courts Minister Chester Borrows says.

From Monday 17 February ‘Driver Licence Stop Orders’ (DLSOs) can be imposed on anyone who fails to pay traffic-related fines imposed on them by a Court, Police or a local government authority – or a reparation order imposed on them by a Court – for a traffic-related offence.

  • Chester Borrows
  • Courts

Courts Minister Chester Borrows today welcomed the resumption of the online publication of key Disputes Tribunal decisions.

“My number one goal as Minister for Courts has been to bring our courts and tribunals into the 21st century, and putting Disputes Tribunal decisions back online is another step on that journey,” says Mr Borrows.

  • Chester Borrows
  • Courts

Corrections Minister Anne Tolley and Courts Minister Chester Borrows today welcomed the new audio visual link (AVL) connection linking New Plymouth Court with Whanganui Prison.

The new link is the first in a $27.8 million upgrade programme, which is expanding AVL links from the current four courts and four prisons to a total of 18 courts and 13 prisons by 2015.

Mrs Tolley says around 40,000 remand court appearances are made each year nationwide, and AVL will be used for more and more of those appearances as the rollout continues.

  • Chester Borrows
  • Anne Tolley
  • Courts
  • Corrections

Greater certainty around court scheduling will give parties more clarity as to their court dates and improve the way we use our court and judicial resources, says Courts Minister Chester Borrows.

“A court case can’t proceed without everyone present – lawyers, defendants, witnesses and a judge – and too often this results in delays in cases getting to court and courtrooms sitting idle,” says Mr Borrows.

“It takes too long to get a case through our criminal courts, and any unnecessary delay should not go unchecked.”

  • Chester Borrows
  • Courts

Courts Minister Chester Borrows says that the Government is determined to deliver a modern, electronic court.

“Transitioning our courts from their antiquated, paper-bound way of working into a modern, electronic model is a huge challenge that offers huge benefits for a faster court system,” says Mr Borrows.

“We’ve already made significant progress, with more and more court services now available online.  We’ve also learnt a lot about what we need, and what better technology can give us.

  • Chester Borrows
  • Courts

Courts Minister Chester Borrows will this week represent New Zealand at the Sixth Bali Democracy Forum, hosted by the Government of Indonesia.

The Forum will bring together Heads of State and ministers from 28 countries from around the world to discuss ways to strengthen democratic institutions across the region.

“New Zealand has a strong democratic history that is more than just a set of laws, but an integral part of our Kiwi culture,” says Mr Borrows.

  • Chester Borrows
  • Courts

Further improvements to make the coronial system clearer and easier for families were announced today by Courts Minister Chester Borrows.

The changes make it easier for the public to find out how coroners are appointed and how possible conflicts of interest are managed, improve sensitivity in the way families are consulted if tissue samples need to be retained following a post-mortem examination, and clarify when deaths of New Zealanders overseas need to be reported to a New Zealand coroner.

  • Chester Borrows
  • Courts

Courts Minister Chester Borrows will depart for the United Kingdom today to address the Restorative Justice Council’s Annual General Meeting.

“Restorative justice is a growing field in responding to crime, with huge benefits for the victim and for society,” says Mr Borrows.

“The Restorative Justice Council’s AGM will be a great opportunity to share ideas and experiences with our international colleagues.”

  • Chester Borrows
  • Justice
  • Courts

Another strong year for court collections has driven the level of fines and reparations owed to their lowest level in almost a decade, Courts Minister Chester Borrows announced today.

  • Chester Borrows
  • Courts

Courts Minister Chester Borrows has welcomed the return of jury trials to Dunedin with the temporary Dunedin Court complex in High Street set to open on Monday.

Parts of the Dunedin Courthouse were closed in December 2011 after a seismic assessment raised concerns about the building’s safety. Since the closure, jury trials have been held in Invercargill, while some court services operated out of John Wickliffe House and the former CIB building in Dunbar St.

  • Chester Borrows
  • Courts

The Law Commission will review the rules governing the media’s reporting of suicide, Courts Minister Chester Borrows said today.

The Coroners Act 2006 currently restricts the information that can be made public about a self-inflicted death without the authorisation of the coroner.  Concern that some aspects of the restrictions are unclear was raised during the recent review of the Coroners Act.

“Media reporting of suicides is a delicate subject, and there are strong views as to the benefits and risks it can carry,” says Mr Borrows.

  • Chester Borrows
  • Courts

Major changes to the way courts operate from today will make them work better for people, by reducing unnecessary delay and allowing modern technology to be used, says Courts Minister Chester Borrows.

The changes, part of the Criminal Procedure Act, which passed with near unanimous support in Parliament in 2011, represent the largest overhaul of criminal procedure in 50 years.

  • Chester Borrows
  • Courts

Improvements to the coronial system, announced today following a targeted review of coroners, will make the process faster and more effective, says Courts Minister Chester Borrows.

The changes include improving coroners’ recommendations by making their scope more focused, strengthening the role of the Chief Coroner to improve timeliness and consistency in the system, and reducing effort spent on cases where a coronial investigation or inquest is unnecessary.

  • Chester Borrows
  • Courts

Courts Minister Chester Borrows officially reopened the Masterton courthouse today following a $3.5 million refurbishment and strengthening project.

“I want to acknowledge the support from our staff, the judiciary, local government, lawyers, Police and Corrections staff and other court users for their patience and support since we were forced to close the court,” Mr Borrows says.

  • Chester Borrows
  • Courts