law

Categories under law

Foreign interference Bill ‘repressive tool’ to intimidate public: former minister

Written By: - Date published: 2:43 pm, December 11th, 2024 - 4 comments

New Zealand is set to update sedition and espionage laws, making these as harsh as those of other Western states that are now gearing up for war with Russia and China.

Government succumbs to Sensible Sentencing Trust pressure and makes Three Strikes Bill worse

Written By: - Date published: 10:45 am, October 22nd, 2024 - 10 comments

The Goverment has bowed to pressure from the Sensible Sentencing Trust and made the Three Strikes Bill even more unworkable.

National’s gang patch ban may hinder police investigations

Written By: - Date published: 10:55 am, September 18th, 2024 - 18 comments

The police’s recent successful operation against the Comanchero gang could concievably have been compromised by National’s proposed gang patch ban.

National plan for 2000 extra Kiwis in prison per year

Written By: - Date published: 9:01 am, September 17th, 2024 - 20 comments

The government plans to put up to 2000 more Kiwis behind bars by 2034 at a potential cost of up to $1.2bn per budget in today’s money. Meanwhile crime, including violent crime is increasing across all of NZ.

Attorney General’s constitutional advice on Treaty Principles bill will be interesting

Written By: - Date published: 10:13 am, September 12th, 2024 - 46 comments

Judith Collins - Attorney General

David Seymour finally released some hard information about Act’s coalition bone – Treaty Principles bill. The regulatory impact statement is damning and points to the status quo as being preferable. It will provide an interesting scope for Judith Collins in her non-partisan role as Attorney-General.

Shane Jones is obsessed with communists

Written By: - Date published: 1:50 pm, September 4th, 2024 - 20 comments

Shane Jones has been getting into the news recently after his comment that High Court Judge Cheryl Gwyn was a communist made at a private meeting was revealed in the media. He has been called out by Judith Collins and Winston Peters but surprisingly not by Christopher Luxon.

National’s solution to the housing crisis

Written By: - Date published: 9:21 am, August 29th, 2024 - 14 comments

Dan Bidois has unwittingly exposed that National has a list of well honed talking points that are used and repeated ad mauseum. Normally within context, sometimes not.

A short history of National’s fascination with boot camps

Written By: - Date published: 10:05 am, July 27th, 2024 - 24 comments

Just as with the Three Strikes Policy National has never seen an irrational itch it will not scratch for political advantage. Despite the reality.

The Abuse in Care report and the Government’s boot camp proposal

Written By: - Date published: 10:53 am, July 25th, 2024 - 24 comments

The Royal Commission’s recently released report into abuse in care has highlighted how unsuccessful and how damaging boot camps can be at the time the Government is celebrating the opening of its latest attempted version of a boot camp.

Government wins pay dispute with police: National Party 1, Police 0, Public -1

Written By: - Date published: 3:53 pm, July 15th, 2024 - 25 comments

The National Government has won in its long standing pay dispute with New Zealand police. With Australia offering $20,000 cash bonuses and attractive packages to poach our cops, what’s going to happen to an already demoralised and stretched police force?

Conflict what conflict?

Written By: - Date published: 1:22 pm, July 12th, 2024 - 16 comments

National activist Sunny Kaushall is to head a committee with a budget of $3.6 million over two years to advise the Government on complex legal and privacy issues for which Kaushal’s qualifications are not clear.

The rise of the bastard son of the three strikes law

Written By: - Date published: 1:58 pm, July 1st, 2024 - 1 comment

The bastard son of the three strikes law alka the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill was introduced into Parliament. And other measures announced will mean added cost, misery and injustice to the operation of our justice system.

Assange back in Australia

Written By: - Date published: 2:45 pm, June 27th, 2024 - 6 comments

About time. Not that I have that I really have that much sympathy with Julian Assange. Always seemed like a bit of a narcissistic dickhead to me. But I get really pissed off with the level of US over-reach with their laws. Seems to me that this is a good time to rework our extradition treaties with them.

Court of Appeal rules against Chhour

Written By: - Date published: 7:51 am, May 15th, 2024 - 16 comments

The Court of Appeal has ruled that the summons issued to Children’s Minister Karen Chhour was valid but decline to enforce it as the date has passed. And the Government has hastily introduced the bill to stop any further action being taken by the Tribunal.

The Waitangi Tribunal v Karen Chhour

Written By: - Date published: 10:08 am, May 12th, 2024 - 109 comments

The Waitangi Tribunal has released a scathing interim decision relating to the Government’s intention to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989.

A one term Government?

Written By: - Date published: 10:16 am, May 5th, 2024 - 86 comments

The Government is less than 12 months away from a change in the Deputy Prime Ministership and the transition will be a smooth one. Labour needs to be getting ready now. Because for the first time in this Country’s history this could be a one term National led Government.

Towards Banana Republic Status

Written By: - Date published: 10:25 am, April 17th, 2024 - 27 comments

There is a bill before Parliament right now that has the potential of blowing a rather big hole in our reputation as an open and transparent democracy.

Uber Drivers in Court of Appeal

Written By: - Date published: 2:24 pm, March 19th, 2024 - 3 comments

Uber Drivers are in the Court of Appeal today. Uber is appealing against Employment Court decision they they are employees with worker rights. Its a no-brainer, so they are and should have them.

Guns and gangs

Written By: - Date published: 12:32 pm, February 28th, 2024 - 63 comments

The Government has announced yet another tough on gangs policy involving a severe restriction on the rights of freedom of expression at the same time that gun ownership laws will be liberalised.

Genocide in Gaza

Written By: - Date published: 8:49 pm, January 7th, 2024 - 57 comments

South Africa has taken a case that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza to the International Court of Justice. A group of prominent New Zealand lawyers have asked the New Zealand Government to join South Africa in support of their application. I think we should.

Why was Judith Collins appointed as a KC?

Written By: - Date published: 9:46 am, December 17th, 2023 - 35 comments

Judith Collins has been appointed a Kings Counsel even before she has had time to show her performance as Attorney General and even though previous highly respected lawyers such as David Lange, Geoffrey Palmer and Margaret Wilson were not appointed while serving as Attorneys General.

National’s gang policy has no foundation

Written By: - Date published: 9:15 am, October 27th, 2023 - 35 comments

National’s Mark Mitchell has proposed a law that will require Gang Members to apply foundation to any gang insignia tattoos before they can go out into the public.

An ACT New Zealand

Written By: - Date published: 1:29 pm, September 8th, 2023 - 38 comments

What will New Zealand look like if Act forms part of the next Government?

Laura norda rides again

Written By: - Date published: 9:47 am, July 22nd, 2023 - 57 comments

This week Labour has announced toughening up of the law dealing with 12 and 13 year olds and National has been playing politics with the shooting incident after earlier saying it was not a day to play politics.

Act’s dishonest Youth offending policy

Written By: - Date published: 8:42 am, July 11th, 2023 - 56 comments

Act’s newly released policy that suggests all 17 year olds are dealt with in the Youth Court shows a concerning lack of understand how the Youth Justice system actually works.

NACT’s Law & Order Policies: Dog Whistle Or Proto-Fascism?

Written By: - Date published: 9:10 am, June 26th, 2023 - 22 comments

NACT’s Law & Order policies are a dog whistle and signs of proto-fascism.

National releases uncosted corrections policy

Written By: - Date published: 8:56 am, June 26th, 2023 - 12 comments

National has released a hotch potch policy of changes to Criminal Justice that is uncosted and seeks to achieve that which is already in force or proposed.

Luxon Aeterna

Written By: - Date published: 8:02 am, June 16th, 2023 - 48 comments

luxon sheep

Ad reports on Christopher Luxon’s meeting in Wanaka.

What Do The Maori Party Want Anyway?

Written By: - Date published: 8:05 am, May 12th, 2023 - 174 comments

Since they’re touted as 2023’s electoral ‘Kingmakers’, it’s time to understand what the Maori Party really want.

Three strikes law is not the answer

Written By: - Date published: 12:13 pm, November 29th, 2022 - 25 comments

National is proposing a return of the Three Strikes legislation, despite the Supreme Court ruling that the law went well beyond excessive punishment and would shock the conscience of properly informed New Zealanders, and was so disproportionately severe as to breach the Bill of Rights.  And despite there being no evidence that it would actually work.

Overblown rhetoric and Laura Norder

Written By: - Date published: 10:19 am, November 27th, 2022 - 69 comments

This week has seen some extreme rhetoric from various quarters about who to blame for a recent senseless killing.  But news that the person arrested had recently been extradited from Australia has shown the rhetoric to be entirely misplaced.