Address to Kapiti JPs Association

Good afternoon and thank you for inviting me to your Spring Lunch today. It's great to be here as both the local MP and as the Associate Minister of Justice, with responsibility for JPs.

Thank you to the Kapiti JPs Association for the time and effort they have put into organising this lunch. 

The contribution of JPs

I'd like to start by thanking you all for the valuable role you play, both in the community and in the justice system.  Nearly 200 years after the first appointment of a JP in New Zealand, our community relies on you as much as ever. 

I want to acknowledge the important work done by local JPs Associations and the Royal Federation, from organising events such as these, to providing ongoing training to JPs and information to the public via websites.  

Today there are over 10,000 JPs in New Zealand and I thank you for volunteering your time; whether it's to witness documents, take statutory declarations or to offer advice and guidance.

My own father is a JP and I've seen firsthand the dedication and commitment of JPs, and also the gratitude and the appreciation that people have for the service you provide. 

In the 2008/2009 year those of you with Judicial duties provided almost 25,000 hours of your time to District Court work around the country, undertaking a range of duties from hearing summary offences to issuing search warrants. 

Clearly, without JPs our justice system would struggle to operate.

Today I'd like to outline some of the government's priorities for the justice system and highlight a few of the areas which will be of interest to you. 

We have a very busy Minister of Justice in Simon Power and the past 18 months have seen some major reforms to the court system.

Focus on victims

A key focus for us has been on the victims of crime.

From 1 July a $50 levy will be imposed on all convicted offenders at the point of sentencing in court.

This is in addition to any sentence or court order, and will be collected after reparation and before fines. 

The money raised by this levy will help pay for additional support services to victims of serious crimes. 

We expect the levy to generate $13.6 million over the first four years.

We've also brought in new ways to protect the victims of domestic violence.

Police can now issue orders on the spot to remove an alleged violent person from a home for up to five days.

This can be issued when there's not enough basis for an arrest, but when Police believe there is a danger of violence occurring.

If a Police safety order is breached, then the matter can be brought before the court. A JP will then be able to direct the Police to issue a new order, and can also send the matter to a Judge to consider a temporary protection order.

The Ministry of Justice, the Police and the Courts have been preparing training material for JPs on this new role.

Victims of sexual violence will now receive a lot more support in the courts with access to a trained adviser who understands these cases and victims' needs.

We've also increased the allowances for travel, accommodation and childcare assistance for victims attending court proceedings.

Alcohol reform

Alcohol has also been in the news, with the government announcing a major package of reform to reduce the harm caused in our society by alcohol.

Sadly, binge drinking has become part of our culture. Local police tell me they deal with problems caused by binge drinking every weekend.

Just a few weeks ago here in Kapiti local residents were terrorised by 100 drunken teenagers who trashed a house and caused a mini riot along the street.

We know that alcohol is a major driver of crime. It plays a part in 30 per cent of all offences, 34 per cent of family violence, and one in every two homicides.

Our package of reform has a number of key points:

• There will be restrictions on the size and strength of pre-mixed Ready-to-drink beverages, and it will be an offence to supply liquor to under-18s without the permission of their parents.
• Local communities will have more power over the location and opening hours of liquor outlets, and there will be set closing times for bars and off-licenses.
• There will also be improved public education and treatment services for people with dependency issues.

The vote on changing the drinking age is a conscience vote for each MP to decide. I've given this issue a lot of thought and after reading the Law Commission report and listening to the views of the public, I've decided to support a split age for purchasing alcohol.

This means that the age limit of 18 will still remain for bars and restaurants, but it will be 20 for takeaway alcohol from bottle stores and supermarkets.

Modernising the justice system

Modernising our courts by making the most of new technology is another big project.

The Courts (Remote Participation) Bill will allow participants to appear in Court using audio-visual links, as long as certain criteria is met.

Within four years time we estimate some of New Zealand's busiest Courts will each see up to 2,000 remand prisoners appearing this way every year.

We hope this will mean more efficient courts with fewer delays and hold-ups.

Testing for this will begin soon in the Auckland District Court and the Auckland Central Remand Prison.

The Justice Ministry will be working with the Royal Federation on training for Judicial JPs in Auckland who might end up using this system.

We're also looking to make use of technology to reduce paperwork in Courts, which I think will be a relief to many of you.

Another major project is the Criminal Procedure (Simplification) Project.

This is intended to fundamentally reform criminal procedure and replace most of the Summary Proceedings Act 1957 with a new consolidated Act. 

A major change proposed is to introduce a case management system, requiring parties to discuss their case and exchange information in an attempt to resolve matters.

The aim is to avoid unnecessary appearances and shorten trial time. 

We want to see more efficient, clearer and faster processes.

This will mean improved access to justice for court users, and more public confidence in the system.

I know the Royal Federation have already indicated that JPs will be providing feedback on the proposed Bill, and I encourage you to do so.

Another piece of legislation likely to affect JPs is the Search and Surveillance Bill, which deals with situations where Police need a warrant urgently.

Issuing officers will be available 24-7 to grant search and surveillance warrants.

Many of those who will train to become issuing officers are likely to be JPs.

The Bill has had its first reading and the Select Committee report back has been deferred until October of this year.

New courthouses

New courthouses are also on the agenda.

Earlier this year the Prime Minister opened the new Levin Courthouse.

It's an impressive building and a great asset for the community. It has two modern and spacious courtrooms with the main courtroom capable of handling jury trials. There is advanced security systems and the latest technology for video conferencing and evidence recording. 

It is safer, more modern and has greater capacity than the old building.

We had an open day a few months ago which attracted around 800 local people.

I know there has been some talk about a satellite court in Kapiti, but at this stage we need more information about the costs and potential number of users.

JP tools and training

Can I finish by highlighting some recent work that's been done to support JPs.

I hope the new Judicial JPs bench book and manual that were developed earlier in the year are proving useful as you carry out your work in courts.  The Judicial JPs manual is also being re-vamped. 

The Ministry has been working closely with the New Zealand Open Polytechnic, the Royal Federation and the Chief District Court Judge's chamber's to redesign the Judicial JPs training course provided by the Polytechnic.

This course was first developed in 1976 and has not been comprehensively looked at in over 30 years.

The aim is to reduce the current number of course assessments from ten to three and achieve a more practical and applied approach to learning.  The course has been redesigned to have two intakes of students per year; February and August.

We expect there will be a three stage process, with the revised Open Polytechnic course, orientation and induction training alongside the Chief District Court Judge for a week.

After that comes practical ‘in-court' experience which will include a mentor programme, probation period, court observation time, and allocation of a mentor.

This induction package is anticipated to commence in early 2011.

All of this shows just how important the role of JPs is to the functioning of justice in our society.

Our society depends upon volunteers like yourself who give up your time freely to serve others.

Tax cuts

Finally, before I finish, I want to tell you about a major change coming up in the next few weeks - not related to your role as a JP, but still very important.

On the 1^st of October - Friday next week - GST will be going up 2.5% while at the same time there will be income tax cuts and a rise in New Zealand Super.

This is the biggest structural change to the tax system in 25 years. What it means is that 73% of income earners will be paying less than 17.5% in tax.

Overall, the average household on $76,000 a year will be better off by around $25 a week, or $1300 a year.

The average couple on NZ Super will be better off by $11 a week, or $560 a year.

This is a big part of our plan to turn the economy around, and create more jobs, better opportunities and higher incomes.

These tax changes will encourage work, savings and investment while discouraging borrowing and property speculation.

If you need anymore information, please contact my office or visit www.taxguide.govt.nz which will tell you exactly how the tax changes will affect you.

Thank you again for all your hard work you do in our community.