Displaying 1 - 24 of 58 results.

Manukau District Court will be extended and improved as part of a wider programme to ensure the Ministry of Justice’s front-line services are well equipped for the future, Minister for Courts Georgina te Heuheu announced today.

“Recent justice sector initiatives are allowing better use of existing resources and reducing the need to invest so much in properties in the region,” Mrs te Heuheu says.

  • Georgina te Heuheu
  • Courts

Court Registrars and court staff across Christchurch and Canterbury had given extraordinary service to ensure the continuity of justice services for Christchurch following the February 22nd earthquake, Courts Minister Georgina te Heuheu said today.

Mrs te Heuheu made the comments as she visited courthouses at Timaru, Ashburton and Rangiora to talk with staff and thank them for their work since the earthquake.

  • Georgina te Heuheu
  • Courts

Having overdue fines and reparation may soon impact people’s ability to get credit as the government approves the implementation of the Credit Check of Fines initiative, Minister for Courts Georgina te Heuheu announced today.

The initiative allows credit agencies, such as hire purchase providers and banks, access to information about overdue fines and reparation that they can then take into account when making credit and lending decisions.  It was enabled by the Courts and Criminal Matters Bill, which was passed in July this year.

  • Georgina te Heuheu
  • Courts

Jury trials in central Christchurch will operate from early next year, Minister for Courts Georgina te Heuheu announced today.

A number of modular buildings, known as portacoms, are being used to construct the purpose-designed jury building. The facility will be located near the Christchurch Central Police Station on Cambridge Terrace.

  • Georgina te Heuheu
  • Courts

The Government has agreed to establish a Drug Court pilot in Auckland to deal with offenders with severe alcohol and drug dependencies, Justice Minister Simon Power and Courts Minister Georgina te Heuheu announced today.

The Law Commission’s review of the Misuse of Drugs Act recommended the Government consider establishing a Drug Court pilot subject to a full analysis of the likely cost-effectiveness and availability of funding.

  • Simon Power
  • Georgina te Heuheu
  • Courts
  • Justice

The redeveloped Gisborne Court fitted well with the Government’s aim to bring courts and their processes into the 21st Century, Courts Minister Georgina te Heuheu said today.

“These latest refurbishments bring all of the court’s functions onto one site, creating an integrated court facility that will better meet the needs of the Gisborne and Tairawhiti community,” says Mrs te Heuheu.

  • Georgina te Heuheu
  • Courts

The opening of McLean House at the Tauranga District Court signals the Government's commitment to ensuring court buildings keep pace with 21st century needs and ensuring access to justice, Courts Minister Georgina te Heuheu said today.

"Tauranga is one of the busiest courts in the country, based on the volume of business transacted in the courts here," Mrs te Heuheu says.

"It is ranked sixth by volume of cases and this is primarily a reflection of the growing population in the Western Bay of Plenty.

  • Georgina te Heuheu
  • Courts

Civil court fees are to be reviewed to ensure they are set fairly and consistently across the range of civil jurisdictions, Minister for Courts Georgina te Heuheu said today.

“There are over 200 individual civil fees with multiple guidelines and as a result, fees have tended to be set in an ad hoc and piecemeal manner. The review will ensure a consistent framework for fee setting in jurisdictions that the Ministry of Justice has responsibilities for,” Mrs te Heuheu says.

“This will ensure that fees are set in a principled, consistent and equitable way.

  • Georgina te Heuheu
  • Courts

Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson, Justice Minister Simon Power and Courts Minister Georgina Te Heuheu have all expressed their shock and sorrow at the death of Chief Judge Russell Johnson, who led the District Court for the last six years.

  • Simon Power
  • Christopher Finlayson
  • Georgina te Heuheu
  • Attorney-General
  • Courts
  • Justice

The Acting Minister for Courts, Simon Power, today welcomed the passing of legislation that strengthens the enforcement of fines, reparation, and civil debt.

The omnibus Courts and Criminal Matters Bill amends 20 statutes and is the most comprehensive reform of court-ordered monetary penalties in more than a decade.

“The bill will ensure that reparation owed to victims is paid as a priority and that offenders who refuse to pay it are held to account,” Mr Power said.

Significant measures in the bill include:

  • Simon Power
  • Courts

Palmerston North Court will be the first of six additional courts to operate a baggage x-ray machine during security screening, further improving the safety of court users, Minister for Courts Georgina te Heuheu QSO announced today.

The baggage x-ray facility will be operational in Palmerston North District Court from 13 June. The remaining five baggage x-rays will be installed at Whangarei District Court, New Plymouth District Court, Napier District Court, Wellington High Court, and Wellington District Court, and will be in place by the end of this year.

  • Georgina te Heuheu
  • Courts

Some three months after the Christchurch earthquake, strong leadership and commitment from Ministry of Justice staff together with unique arrangements have been central to the Ministry’s earthquake response in keeping the courts and wider justice services running, says Minister for Courts, Georgina te Heuheu.

The Minister was in Christchurch today to view first hand some of the services, and to personally thank staff for their efforts in helping to maintain public confidence in the region’s justice services.

  • Georgina te Heuheu
  • Courts

National Member of Parliament, Georgina te Heuheu, today announced her decision to retire from politics at the end of the current term.

"Now is a good time to go. The National Party is in good heart. It has strong leadership. The National Government has outlined a credible programme for New Zealand's future, and it's now time for family and friends.

  • Georgina te Heuheu
  • Courts
  • Disarmament and Arms Control
  • Maori Affairs
  • Pacific Island Affairs

Courts Minister Georgina te Heuheu and Justice Minister Simon Power today welcomed improvements made by a public awareness programme to increase juror attendance rates.

The programme features ordinary New Zealanders, committed to making a contribution to their community by attending jury service, in a series of posters which are currently being run in community and mainstream papers, as well as on Stuff and TradeMe as website message boards.

  • Simon Power
  • Georgina te Heuheu
  • Courts
  • Justice

The Government will spend about $8.5 billion over the next few years to help the rebuilding of Christchurch, Finance Minister Bill English said today.

“The earthquakes do not fundamentally change our economic situation or the Government’s programme,” he said in a speech to the Wellington Employers’ Chamber of Commerce. “They simply make the task of returning to surplus a little more difficult.”

  • Bill English
  • Courts
  • Finance
  • Earthquake Recovery
  • Budget 2011

Ministry of Justice staff working from a temporary office facility in Christchurch are helping to improve the delivery of essential justice services, Minister for Courts, Georgina te Heuheu said today.

  • Georgina te Heuheu
  • Courts
  • Earthquake Recovery

A new tool designed to give Māori land owners, judges, researchers, local government, and other interested users an unprecedented picture of freehold land was officially launched by Courts Minister, Georgina te Heuheu today.

"The launch of the Maori land Geographic Information System (GIS) Project heralds a new dawn in the history of Māori land management and utilisation," Mrs te Heuheu said.

  • Georgina te Heuheu
  • Courts
  • Maori Affairs

Courts were continuing to operate in Christchurch as a priority in helping to maintain law and order, and support justice services, Minister for Courts, Georgina te Heuheu said today.

“Today I visited the Ministry of Justice temporary command centre operating from Christchurch Men’s Prison. I was impressed by the way the Corrections Department has welcomed Courts’ temporary location to the prison, and by the way both Corrections and Courts are working with some priority to ensure that Courts’ systems are up and running.

  • Georgina te Heuheu
  • Courts
  • Earthquake Recovery

Courts Minister Georgina te Heuheu today launched results from the most comprehensive survey ever undertaken of court users.

‘Understanding our Court Users: Court User Survey 2010’ is the result of more than two thousand face-to-face interviews with non-professional court users from the eight largest District and combined District/High courts around the country, as well as the Auckland High Court.

  • Georgina te Heuheu
  • Courts

Courts Minister Georgina te Heuheu and Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman today welcomed the swearing in of 16 members of the new Immigration and Protection Tribunal (IPT) in Auckland.

The IPT commences work on Monday, 29 November and will decide all immigration, deportation, refugee and protection appeals in New Zealand.

Established under the Immigration Act 2009, the IPT replaces the current immigration-related appeal bodies and creates a single, ‘one-stop-shop' tribunal to consider all grounds for appeal in one place.

  • Georgina te Heuheu
  • Jonathan Coleman
  • Courts
  • Immigration

Nelson's re-developed courthouse was opened today by Courts Minister Hon Georgina te Heuheu.

  • Georgina te Heuheu
  • Courts

The structural engineering of the Supreme Court building project won a significant international engineering award at the weekend, much to the delight of the Minister for Courts, Georgina te H

  • Georgina te Heuheu
  • Courts

Government makes jury duty rules more flexible

  • Simon Power
  • Georgina te Heuheu
  • Courts
  • Justice

Courts Minister Georgina te Heuheu today unveiled two pou installed in the atrium of the North Shore District Court. 

  • Georgina te Heuheu
  • Courts