Source: https://www.lawfoundation.org.nz/?page_id=2565
Timestamp: 2019-08-18 05:33:59
Document Index: 659599281

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 1', 'art 2', 'art 3', 'art 4', 'art 2', 'ART-2', 'ART-2', 'ART 1', 'ART-1', 'ART 1', 'ART 2']

Legal Research Reports | The Law Foundation
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2019 Government Use of Artificial Intelligence in New Zealand Gavaghan, Colin., Maclaurin, James., Knott, Ali., Zerilli, John., Liddicoat, Joy.
Synopsis: The overall focus of the report is on the regulatory issues surrounding uses of AI in New Zealand.
It covers Phase 1 of the project (there are 2 phases) and focuses on regulatory issues surrounding the use of predictive AI models in New Zealand government departments.
The public sector was chosen because the researchers want to begin by discussing regulatory options in a sphere where the New Zealand Government can readily take action. New Zealand's Government can relatively easily effect changes in the way its own departments and public institutions operate.
The report identifies and discusses a number of primary concerns:
- Transparency and a right to reasons/explanations
- Bias, fairness and discrimination
With regard to oversight and regulation, one of the key recommendations of the report is that Government should consider the establishment of a regulatory/oversight agency. Several possible models for the new regulatory agency are proposed in the report. The new regulator could serve a range of other functions, including:
- Producing best practice guidelines;
- Maintaining a register of algorithms used in government;
- Producing an annual public report on such uses;
- Conducting ongoing monitoring on the effects of these tools.
The researchers stress the need for consultation with a wide range of stakeholders across New Zealand society, especially with populations likely to be affected by algorithmic decisions, and with those likely to be under-represented in construction and training. This is likely to include those in lower socio-economic classes, and Māori and Pacific Island populations. Quite simply, they are likely to have insights, concerns and perspectives that will not be available to even the most well-intentioned of outside observers.
Gavaghan, Colin., Maclaurin, James., Knott, Ali., Zerilli, John., Liddicoat, Joy.
Researchers web page- Centre for Law & Policy in Emerging Technologies research projects
2019 Perception inception: Preparing for deepfakes and the synthetic media of tomorrow Barraclough, Tom., Barnes, Curtis.
Synopsis: Contemporary audio-visual effects technologies now allow for the creation and manipulation of information in challenging ways never before encountered. They can be used to put words in people's mouths, portray people doing things they never did, copy their faces and voices, or even create entirely new faces and voices that appear thoroughly human.
This research report considers the wide-ranging social, legal and policy issues arising. Synthetic media technologies have huge potential benefits, but they also have risks. Public awareness of this risk of deception has grown through discussion of one kind of emerging audiovisual technology known as "deepfakes". The existence of such technologies may undermine general trust in audiovisual information to some degree.
The researchers anticipate that synthetic media will continue to improve, becoming better and more accessible. They think it likely that in the near future, consumers and citizens will be regularly exposed to audio, images and video that looks or sounds as if it is a reliable representation of factual events, even though it is not. It is information that gives the impression that it was "captured", when in fact it was "constructed" to a greater or lesser extent. Lots of this information will be benign or beneficial, but some of it will be harmful.
Tom Barraclough and Curtis Barnes
Media release 21.5.2019
2019 Animal Welfare in New Zealand; Oversight, Compliance and Enforcement Rodriguez Ferrere, Marcelo., King, Mike., Mros Larsen, Levi
Synopsis: The report questions whether New Zealand's "world-leading" animal welfare system adequately protects our furry friends, and argues the agencies charged with protecting animals need more funding.
It evaluates how the Ministry for Primary Industries' (MPI) animal welfare compliance arm and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RNZSPCA) enforce the Animal Welfare Act (1999).
While findings suggest MPI and RNZSPCA generally use their resources effectively and efficiently for enforcement purposes, the report concludes resource constraints prevent more prosecutions occurring. Only the most egregious breaches of the Act lead to prosecutorial action.
The report argues the direct effect of the under-resourcing of the sector is that neither MPI nor the RNZSPCA have the capacity to engage in proactive enforcement. Instead, both agencies rely upon reactive enforcement through public compliance monitoring (complaints and reporting of offending from the public) and in some instances, industry self-regulation.
The report recommends: (1) An increase in state resourcing for enforcement of the Act, for MPI and RNZSPCA (2) That increased funding for RNZSPCA be devoted solely to its enforcement functions, and increased oversight and accountability for these functions (3) A Public or Government Inquiry into the adequacy of animal welfare enforcement in New Zealand (4) Establishment of an independent Office of the Commissioner for Animals in New Zealand.
This research was limited to production and companion animals. It excluded animals in Research, Testing and Teaching and wild animals.
PDF, 197 pages
University of Otago media release: "Animal welfare system provides poor protection - Otago academic calls for change"
2019 The Reform of The Resource Management System - A Pathway to Reform - WORKING PAPER 1: CRITERIA FOR REFORM Severinsen, Greg
Synopsis: This is the first working paper of Phase 2 of a EDS's Resource Management Law Reform Project. The project is taking a first-principles look at how New Zealand's resource management system could be improved.
This working paper looks at criteria for reform, and concludes by offering three alternative sets of criteria that could be applied: a "progressive" set, a "transformational" set, and a "market-led" set. It does not yet select one of them - this is a task for the next stage of this work.
2019 Digital Threats to Democracy Elliot, Marianne., Berentson-Shaw, Jess., Kueln, Kathleen., Salter, Leon., Brownlie, Ella
Synopsis: The "Digital Threats to Democracy" research report focuses on social media and digital platform monopolies - the opportunities, risks and threats they pose to democracy in New Zealand. It considers what needs to change, what can be done, and what evidence we have as to the interventions and solutions that might mitigate against the biggest threats posed by digital media, without losing the best of the opportunities that the internet offers.
The report identifies three key problems: (1) IMPACT OF PLATFORM MONOPOLIES, in which a handful of people have the power to determine the social interactions and access to information of millions of people (2) ALGORITHMIC OPACITY, in which algorithms have ever-increasing influence over what we hear and see without appropriate transparency or accountability (3) ATTENTION ECONOMY, which gives priority to content that grabs attention, without sufficient regard to potential harm.
The report emphasises that while content moderation is important, it's critical to address the wider structural drivers of the biggest threats posed to democracy by digital media - including the power that a handful of privately-owned platforms wield over so many aspects of our lives.
Key opportunities are identified (1) democratisation of information publishing (2) broadening the public sphere (3) increasing equality of access to and participation within political processes (4) increasing participation and engagement in political processes (5) increasing transparency and (6) accountability from government and promotion of democratic values.
Key threats are identified: (1) increasing power of private platforms (2) foreign government interference in democratic processes (3) surveillance and data protection issues (4) fake news, misinformation and disinformation (5) filter bubbles and echo chambers (6) hate speech and trolling (7) distrust/ dissatisfaction with democracy.
The report presents solutions to deal with the threats - including the need to address structural and systemic issues; create supportive environments and contexts; create protections for people; build understanding, and change individual behaviours through education.
Finally the report identifies key principles to consider when developing policy to deal with digital media issues. It highlights urgent areas in need of change.
Media Advisory 8.5.2019
2019 A Strong Legislative Framework? - The 2012 Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act Gordon, Liz
Synopsis: Dr Liz Gordon, Pukeko Research Ltd, carried out this research during 2018 to examine the effects of the alcohol licensing system brought in by the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012. The research identified the strengths and weaknesses of the alcohol licensing system under the 2012 Act in terms of (1) the object of the Act to minimise alcohol related harm in communities and ensure safe and responsible consumption (2) whether there is a need for a change in the law to improve the regulatory regime.
The study involved interviews with stakeholders, regional focus groups with applicants, regulators and submitters, and case law analysis of contested decisions 2014-2017. The report's recently released findings will be used to propose changes needed in the application of the Act, including seminars and publication plus submissions to various agencies.
This project was jointly funded by the Law Foundation and the Michael and Suzanne Borrin Foundation.
pdf 79 pages, including - Annex 1 Results of Stakeholder Survey; Annex 2 Results of Industry Survey
Pukeko Research Ltd web site
2019 Family Justice Professionals' Perspectives -INTERIM RESEARCH REPORT FOR NZLF AND THE INDEPENDENT PANEL EXAMINING THE 2014 FAMILY JUSTICE REFORMS Gollop, Megan., Taylor, Nicola.
Synopsis: This Interim Report presents preliminary data from a two-phase research project. Phase One was undertaken during 2014-2015 and involved the initial scoping, consultation and planning for implementation of the Phase Two nationwide study from 2016.
The primary purpose of Phase Two (1 August 2016 to 31 January 2020) was to undertake the empirical components of a large-scale nationwide mixed-methods study to evaluate the 2014 family law reforms. This phase addressed the following research questions: (1) What are parents' and family justice professionals' perceptions and experiences of post-separation family dispute resolution processes regarding decisions about children's care arrangements post-31 March 2014? (2) Which family justice systems/services/processes are working well for families and family justice professionals and which are not? (3) How and why do parents choose different dispute resolution pathways (e.g., selfresolution, private agreement, out-of-court or in-court dispute resolution) and are they associated with different experiences, perspectives and outcomes (such as stability of care arrangements, conflict reduction)?
Children's Issues Centre Faculty of Law University of Otago
2019 Structuring for Impact: Evolving Legal Structures for Business in New Zealand Horan, Jane., Hosking, Amber., Moe, Steven., Rowland, Jackson., Wilkie, Phillippa.
Synopsis: Social Enterprises (SE) are purpose-driven organisations that trade to deliver a social or environmental impact. They do not fit neatly within existing legal structures. Social entrepreneurs behind SE pursue a different set of values from traditional business, with profit being only one factor in the mix, and often only as a means to achieving more impact.
Based on the growth and contributions of SE to New Zealand to date, it is clear that organisations that prioritise more than profit have significant potential to positively grow New Zealand's economy in a broad sense, solving significant societal challenges along the way. Because of this, New Zealand needs a legal and policy environment that enables and encourages businesses that are trading for impact.
This report finds that the legal structures currently available in New Zealand are acting as barriers and disadvantaging SE. This report sets out evidence from SE about the perceived challenges associated with the current legal structures and argues that evolving legal structures to remove some of those challenges will unlock the potential of business to generate social and environmental impact at a scale that grows the wellbeing of New Zealand. Doing so would also support organisations underpinned by Te Ao Māori in a way that really honours Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Research identified that hurdles due to legal structure appear to be most commonly centred around the enterprises' inability to convey and protect their mission, and the consequential challenges that any workarounds to this create. Funding was the other key disadvantage, with many SE finding accessing funding very difficult because of their structures, a hurdle which is having significant implications on the ability of these organisations, and their impact, to scale.
Businesses that exist for profit and purpose are now commonplace. SE prioritise people and the environment, ensuring they are looked after through business - rather than as collateral of profit-making. The way SE operate has the potential to generate significant value for New Zealand and to deliver the Government's social and environmental outcomes, and embody the ethos of the Living Standards Framework. By making minor amendments to the Companies Act 1993, this report argues that New Zealand has the capacity to create a world-first model for business that enables organisations to trade for impact. And in doing so catalyse the extraordinary entrepreneurship that is happening in the SE sector in New Zealand to unlock innovation that will create greater wellbeing for generations of New Zealanders to come.
This report was produced for the Social Enterprise Sector Development Programme, a partnership between the Department of Internal Affairs on behalf of the New Zealand Government and The Ākina Foundation. They are supported in partnership with the Community Enterprise Network Trust (CENT).
Link to Akina Foundation web news item about the report
2019 The Resource Management System the Next Generation - Synthesis Report Severinsen, Greg., Peart, Raewyn
Synopsis: This is the final synthesis report from EDS's phase 1 work from its Resource Management Reform Project. The project published three working papers prior to this report.
The project took a first-principles look at how New Zealand's resource management system could be improved.
The 356 page synthesis report is the culmination of 18 months of research, thinking and engagement. It examines key fundamental questions:
> What do we have a resource management system for?
> How do we see ourselves in relation to our natural and physical surroundings?
> What roles should the system play in pursuing society's aims?
> What will the future require from our resource management system?
The report looks at the whole system, not just RMA. It examines how we design and arrange our legislation, institutions and opportunities for public involvement. It examines tools like regulations, plans, economic instruments and behavioural incentives. It integrates Māori issues and perspectives into the discussion.
EDS's Policy Director and co-author of the report, Raewyn Peart, says reform is clearly needed. "But we have deliberately stopped short of rushing to a single preferred model in the synthesis report. We want to encourage people to use our report and think carefully about options rather than jump prematurely to a particular solution. That's been part of the problem - too many ad hoc changes that have produced muddled and incoherent legislation," said Ms Peart.
The report presents three broad models for reform with components that can be mixed and matched as debate continues. It is expected to feed into the Government's 2019 review of our Resource Management System.
The next and final phase of EDS's work, commenced early 2019, intending to build on the analysis and options in the synthesis report and select and flesh out what a preferred model should look like, and chart a practical pathway for reform for Parliamentarians and the public to consider. The final report for this work is due at the end of 2019.
Summary of the synthesis report - 40 PDF pages
2018 Regulating Cryptocurrencies in New Zealand Sims, Alexandra., Kariyawasam, Kanchana., Mayes, David.
Synopsis: This report, prepared by a team of legal and banking experts, says our Government should actively support New Zealand becoming a blockchain and financial technology (fintech) hub. It suggests that for New Zealand to enjoy the vast potential benefits from this technology that we need a central bank-issued cryptocurrency, thriving cryptocurrency exchanges and the ability for businesses to trade in a GST-free cryptocurrency. Recommendations for a regulatory framework for blockchain are a key part of this report.
2018 Reform of the Resource Management System - The Next Generation - Working Paper 3 Severinsen, Greg., Peart, Raewyn - Contributors: Joseph, Robert., Hazledine, Tim., Denne, Tim., Stephens, Theo., Brown Marie.
Synopsis: The purpose of this project is to take a first-principles look at the resource management system in New Zealand and to outline options for reform. This is the third in a series of three working papers generated by the project. A final synthesis report will be published towards the end of the year.
Working Paper 1 considered (1) the project's conceptual framework, (2) the context for reform, (3) ethics and principles, and (4) some key findings from the Environmental Defence Society's (EDS) international study tour.
Working Paper 2 addressed a variety of further matters: (1) what the future could look like, and its implications for the resource management system; (2) legislative design; (3) public participation; and (4) New Zealand's obligations under international law.
Working Paper 3 considers: (1) Māori and a future resource management system: the Treaty, tikanga, ecosystem-based management and power sharing (2) The rationale for the system (when public intervention is appropriate) (3) The roles a future system needs to play (4) A framework for institutional design (5) Exploring the characteristics of resource management institutions (6) Institutions in a future system.
Also incorporated are four think-pieces commissioned from external experts: three concerning the role of the economy and economic instruments, and one concerning compliance, monitoring, enforcement and evaluation. This working paper is intended primarily as a primer for discussion and feedback; it explores options and directions of travel, but does not yet offer a specific set of recommendations. The project's final synthesis report will present concrete options for reform.
2018 Gender Ratio of Counsel Appearing in Higher Courts -31st August 2018 Cooper, Jenny., Schumacher, Gretta
Synopsis: This report provides the results of a comprehensive review of the gender ratios of lead and junior counsel and Queens Counsel who appeared in New Zealand's Court of Appeal and Supreme Court over the 6-year period from 2012 to 2017. The data is drawn from around 400 cases involving an oral hearing in the Court of Appeal per year, and around 100 delivered judgments in the Supreme Court per year. A key focus of this research project was to determine whether the proportion of women appearing as lead counsel in comparison to men had changed at all over the last six years.
The data gathered shows women appear in New Zealand's higher courts as lead counsel significantly less frequently than men - in a proportion that is way less than their overall representation in the legal profession, which is around 50%. Further, the appellant lead counsel figures, and civil figures, are consistently worse for women than the overall figures. The respondent figures provide a better picture for women lead counsels in both courts. And when only criminal cases are analysed, the proportion of women appearing as lead counsel is better, both in appellant and respondent roles. When Crown Law cases are excluded the number of women appearing as lead counsel drops dramatically, especially for respondent counsel.
The report reveals that there has been no discernible trend of improvement in the representation of women as lead counsel during the six years relating to this study, 2012 to 2017. It says there is much work to be done in the legal profession to rectify this imbalance in terms of advocacy roles in court held by men and women.
The report provides tables and graphs of the data gathered, a summary of results and finally a conclusion that calls for change in terms of advocacy opportunities for women.
2018 A Constitutional Moment - Gene Drive and International Governance Terry, Simon., Howard, Stephanie.
Synopsis: 'Gene drive' offers the power to deliver "extinction to order" or the permanent reengineering of wild species. Since this new genetic engineering technique was first mooted in 2014, calls to place the technology under global governance have quickly followed. The recognition that gene drive is no ordinary technology - one that "knows no political boundaries" - has bolstered that call. Yet existing international agreements are inadequate to deal with the technique because it is not a mere extension of genetic engineering in its ambitions or capacity. Gene drive technology has the potential to rapidly alter ecosystems in irreversible and damaging ways, where the removal of a species or population could trigger unintended cascades through the environment.
Sustainability Council Launch Media Release
2018 Reform of The Resource Management System - The Next Generation - Working Paper 2 Severinsen, Greg., Peart, Raewyn., Cox, Brooke.
Synopsis: The purpose of this project is to take a first-principles look at the resource management system in New Zealand and outline options for reform. This is the second in a series of working papers generated by the project. The first paper considered the projects conceptual framework, the context for reform, ethics and principles, and some key findings from EDS's international study tour. This second paper addresses (1) what the future could look like, and its implications for the resource management system (2) legislative design (3) public participation (4) NZ's obligations under international law. This paper is intended primarily as a primer for discussion and feedback.
Hard-copy,144 pages
2018 Royal Commission into Abuse in State Care - Compilation of Reports Stanley, Elizabeth., Noonan, Rosslyn., Cooper, Sonja., Erueti, Anaru.
Synopsis: Following the announcements of the new Labour-led government in October 2017 there were clear signs of an intention to hold an independent inquiry into the abuse and neglect of children, young people and vulnerable adults in state care. The documents attached to this report were prepared in response to that commitment. They were led by the authors, all of whom were informed by the views of survivors, along with experts and professionals working in the field of child care.
FIRST DOCUMENT - "Draft framework for a New Zealand Royal Commission into Abuse in State Care", dated 4 Dec 2017 - this was prepared knowing that the government was preparing draft terms of reference for the inquiry.
SECOND DOCUMENT - A report on results of the survey "Survivors' Submissions on Inquiry into Abuse in State Care, 2018" - 422 submissions.
THIRD DOCUMENT - Short report on the Law Foundation funded Hui 14-15 Feb 2018 that was held to discuss and make recommendations on the Terms of Reference for the Royal Commission released by government on 1 Feb 2018. Attendees included survivors, advocates, practitioners working in the care/justice/health sectors, academics and media professionals and the newly appointed Chair of the Royal Commission.
FOURTH DOCUMENT - "Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State Care Submission on Government's draft terms of reference", dated 24 April 2018, prepared by the authors.
The authors: Stanley, Elizabeth., Noonan, Rosslyn., Cooper, Sonja., Erueti, Anaru.
2018 Disability Legislation and Outcomes - A review of the social and economic impact of disability and accessibility legislation in New Zealand and selected Jurisdictions. NZIER - NZ Institute of Economic Research Inc
Synopsis: This report considers current legislative models for accessibility for people with disability (PWD) in jurisdictions that New Zealand usually benchmarks itself against; namely, Canada and particularly Ontario, Australia, and UK.
The legislative models have been assessed in terms of how they compare to each other across some common points of reference e.g. extent of prescription; compliance with UNCRPD**, the efficiency of each of the models from a good regulatory practice perspective and effectiveness in terms of their impact on social and economic outcomes. The report also provides a literature review of available, relevant information from the selected jurisdictions on their experience of their legislative models, with a view to identifying lessons and possible improvements for New Zealand legislation.
While the jurisdictions examined in this report are countries with whom we have many similarities, there are also many differences that make direct comparison or the 'lifting' of aspects of a legislative model unwise. Despite a Commonwealth heritage, each jurisdiction has a different legislative history and each society takes a different approach to discrimination and disability. Nevertheless, there are general impressions and lessons that can be drawn from these different country experiences.
**NZ has responsibilities under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities UNCRPD, including Article 9's requirement for State Parties to take appropriate measures to ensure accessibility in the physical environment, transportation, information, communications (including technology), and services. The first UN review of New Zealand's UNCRPD compliance was generally favourable; however, areas identified for New Zealand to work on included implementation and the lack of minimum enforceable standards for accessibility.
Disability Law Policy Brief for the Access Alliance
2018 Reform of the Resource Management System - The Next Generation - Working Paper 1 Severinsen, Greg., Peart, Raewyn
Synopsis: The purpose of this project is to take a first-principles look at the resource management system in New Zealand and outline options for reform. This is the first in a series of working papers to be generated by the project. It outlines the matters explored by the project team thus far: (1) the development of a conceptual framework; (2) establishing the context for reform; (3) an exploration of ethics in resource management; (4) a survey of the principles of resource management; and (5) the key insights gained from the Environmental Defence Society's (EDS) recent international study tour.
2018 The Grand Jury of New Zealand in The Nineteenth Century Taylor, Greg
Synopsis: The grand jury of New Zealand existed for 118 years, but virtually nothing is known about its operation. This article shows that the grand jury of New Zealand developed from an imported institution in 1844 to one that somewhat more closely reflected New Zealand's needs. Nevertheless, from the first there were voices calling for its abolition and considerable diversity of opinion about its aims and usefulness. It was never comprehensively overhauled to meet local conditions. A survey of its make-up and functions is given along with a survey of the judicial charges given to it and the presentments it made on matters of public importance. Often, and especially in the first few decades of the grand jury's existence, the impression is given that making presentments on a great variety of topics of public interest was the most important function of the grand jury, eclipsing its role in the criminal law proper. There is special consideration of grand juries and Maori people. The analysis concludes with a conspectus of the grand jury towards the end of its existence (1961) along with the debates surrounding its demise.
Author, Greg Taylor, is a Professor of Law at the University of Adelaide; Honorary Professor of Law, Marburg University, Germany; Honorary Associate Professor, R.M.I.T. University, Melbourne. He gratefully acknowledges that the research for this article was made possible thanks to a generous grant from the New Zealand Law Foundation.
American Journal of Legal History � Oxford University Press
Internet - temp online access
Link to article - please contact NZLF if you find this is no longer active
2018 Rangatahi Maori and Youth Justice - Oranga Rangatahi Henwood, Carolyn., George, Jennifer., Cram, Fiona., Ngati Pahauwera., Katoa Ltd Haimona Waititi., Te Whānau-Ā-Apanui., Ngāti Porou., Ngāi Tahu
Synopsis: This report seeks to understand the involvement of rangatahi Māori (14- to 16-year-olds) in the youth justice system in this country. It asks why so many of the young people moving through this system are Māori, and describes some of the actions being taken to reduce rangatahi Māori engagement with it.
2018 Communication Assistants (Intermediaries) - Structure, training and support - Lessons for New Zealand Bonetti, Michelle.
Synopsis: This report provides a comprehensive overview of the initial introduction of Communication Assistants (CA's) into the judicial system in New Zealand, the progress made to date, the observations and lessons learned from international contexts, and present proposed methods of working moving forward. The results of a survey of experienced Intermediaries is also discussed, providing critical information about the key competencies required as part of the role. A focus is drawn to the experiences of the author in both New Zealand and the UK throughout the training and mentoring process, including the challenges faced in this initial stage of rollout.
Due to the significant progress that has been made in supporting the communication needs of vulnerable persons in the judicial system internationally (particularly in the UK), lessons for training and the practical rollout of the utilisation of CA's in justice contexts, can be drawn from these differing jurisdictions and subsequently considered for application in the New Zealand context. These are considered both within their international contexts and in application to the New Zealand context at present. Future directions for learning and development of the role of a CA within New Zealand Courts are discussed and advice for best practice is shared.
Moretalk Courts Communication Assistant
2018 Regulation of New Technology: Institutions and Processes Every-Palmer, James.
Synopsis: The rapid development and uptake of information technology has had a significant impact on how New Zealanders work and socialize, and on how our economy and occupations are organised. This paper contributes to a conversation about the implications of technology change for good regulatory practice in terms of our institutions and processes. This paper asks whether some sorts of institutions and processes are likely to be better suited to accommodating and regulating technological changes than others.
The author identifies six broad policy issues that often arise in relation to new digital technologies and need to be considered by our regulatory systems. In addition, the author sets out and discusses five steps that we should taking now to be in the best position to adjust our regulatory settings to accommodate and/or regulate new technologies in the future.
James Every-Palmer's web pages for ILAPP grants
2017 ONE COURT, ONE JUDGE - An Integrated Court System for New Zealand Families Affected by Violence Lawton, Zoe
Synopsis: This discussion paper is the first of its kind in New Zealand and explores whether integrated domestic violence courts should be implemented in New Zealand. It is divided into four parts:
Part 1 sets the scene by providing an overview of how the court system currently operates in New Zealand.
Part 2 explains how the integrated domestic violence court system currently operates in New York.
Part 3 compares both court systems to determine which is better for families affected by violence.
Part 4 highlights several key considerations for the Ministry of Justice in terms of developing a customised operating model for integrated domestic violence courts in New Zealand.
2017 Analysis of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement from a NZ Perspective - Eight Expert Papers Bertram, G., Charters, C., Coates, B., Erueti, A., Harre, L., Harvey, D., Hazeldine, T., Holman, A., Johnson, M., Jones, C., Kawharu, A., Kelsey, J., McHaffie, K., Monahan, D., Northey, R., Oram, R., Shaw, J., Terry., S., Ting-Edwards, J.
Synopsis: From Sept 2014 until Nov 2017 the Law Foundation supported a research project entitled "Analysis of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement from a NZ Perspective". At the time of this project it seemed likely the TPP would go ahead and be supported by New Zealand. The project attempted to demystify complex issues and stimulate debate through a series of expert analyses on aspects of the TPPA. This was coordinated by Auckland University Law Professor Jane Kelsey and Barry Coates, former executive director of Oxfam New Zealand.
The eight expert papers released on the TPPA Legal website were written to inform public opinion and debate and address concerns raised about the lack of publicly available information about the TPPA. They were not intended to be a comprehensive, formal impact assessment of the TPPA but were expected to provide clarity and understanding to complex legal issues surrounding the agreement, and help and bring new thinking to the subject.
The papers covered TPPA provisions and their implications for policy and impacts on New Zealand society. They provide source material for researchers, MPs, professional bodies, NGOs, trade unions, journalists, activists and opinion-formers, to inform debate.
EXPERT PAPER #1: Treaty Making, Parliamentary Democracy, Regulatory Sovereignty and The Rule of Law; by Prof Jane Kelsey; Dec 2015.
EXPERT PAPER #2: Chapter 9 on Investment; by Amokura Kawharu; Dec 2015.
EXPERT PAPER #3: Maori Rights, Te Tiriti O Waitangi and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement; by Dr Carwyn Jones, Assoc Prof Claire Charters, Andrew Erueti, Prof Jane Kelsey; Jan 2016.
EXPERT PAPER #4: The Environment Under TPPA Governance; Simon Terry; Jan 2016.
EXPERT PAPER #5: The Economics of the TPPA; by Barry Coates, Rod oram, Dr Geoff Bertram and Prof Tim Hazledine; Jan 2016.
EXPERT PAPER #6: Implications of TPPA for Local Government; by Tony Holman, Richard Northey and Prof Jane Kelsey; Feb 2016.
EXPERT PAPER #7; Intellectual Property and Information Technology; by James Ting-Edwards, Melanie Johnson, Judge David Harvey, Debbie Monahan, Kate McHaffie and Jo Shaw; Feb 2016.
EXPERT PAPER #8: TPPA Labour Chapter; by Laila Harre; May 2017.
PDFs on web link below
PDF of Expert Papers 1 to 8 on TTP - 222 pages
2017 Last Line of Defence - compliance, monitoring and enforcement of New Zealand's environmental law Brown, Marie A.
Synopsis: Dr Marie Brown's research report builds on previous Law Foundation funded EDS reports and aims to contribute to the national dialogue on environmental enforcement.
Evaluating environmental enforcement practice provides valuable insights into the strengths and weaknesses of a regime and helps to better target expenditure and effort to areas most likely to reduce risk of harm. This report has three key aims: 1. To educate readers about the importance of compliance, monitoring and enforcement (CME) of environmental law 2. To demonstrate empirically the current state of play in CME around the country and across several agencies and several regimes 3.To identify key issues and solutions that will assist in strengthening regulatory outcomes.
120 page PDF of the research report
2017 SOLVING THE PROBLEM: Causation, transparency and access to justice in New Zealand's personal injury system Forster, Warren., Barraclough, Tom., Mijatov, Tiho.
Synopsis: This report follows an earlier report (by Warren and his team) to the United Nations in late 2014, their access to justice report of July 2015, its review by Miriam Dean QC, and their subsequent attempts to constructively engage with agencies responsible for implementing Ms Dean's recommendations.
After considerable reflection and research, the team has concluded that the most effective way of reducing the harm done by access to justice barriers "downstream" is to look at the systemic factors creating those barriers "upstream".
They have done their best to understand how current reform processes will help to improve access to justice.
They see the access to justice issues in this area as having two problems in common. The first is the way that ACC assesses causation as a boundary test for the scheme and the effects of that process. The second is the lack of transparency and oversight around this and all other ACC dealings with other organisations and with individuals.
PDF 98 pages
Radio NZ Nine to Noon interview with Kathryn Ryan
2017 Revised Legal Frameworks for Ownership and Use of Multi-Dwelling Units Toomey, Elizabeth., Finn, Jeremy., France-Hudson, Ben., Ruru, Jacinta.
Synopsis: A research team, based in the Faculties of Law at the University of Canterbury and the University of Otago, was granted funding from BRANZ's Building Research Levy to find solutions for better housing in New Zealand by identifying the barriers that currently exist for multi-dwelling units on a single title, or for buildings which mix commercial and residential units on a single title, when those buildings are destroyed by a natural disaster (the Canterbury earthquakes were the catalyst for this research), or as a result of the leaky home syndrome. The team gained additional funding from the New Zealand Law Foundation.
PDF 338 pages
2017 Judging Genes and Choosing Children: revisiting law, ethics and policy in the genomic era Snelling, Jeanne., Kerruish, Nikki., Lenagh-Glue, Jessie.
2017 Finding Ecological Justice in New Zealand Browning, Claire
Synopsis: Claire's research report takes environmental justice as the starting point for looking at environmental law and injustice in Aotearoa. It argues that while we might not perceive it, and the RMA for example never uses the word, environmental law exists to deliver justice.
Through different aspects of the law the report looks at recognition, participation, and hopes of delivering justice between peoples, generations, and sentient and non-sentient others alive in the world.
The report focuses, in particular, on kaitiakitanga* as developed by the Waitangi Tribunal, arguing that not only does this resemble environmental justice claims; it is in kaitiakitanga that we will find ecological justice in Aotearoa.
*(Kaitiakitanga means guardianship, protection, preservation or sheltering. It is a way of managing the environment, based on the traditional Māori world view where they believe there is a deep kinship between humans and the natural world. All life is connected. People are not superior to the natural order; they are part of it.)
PDF 142 pages for read-only version, 155 pages for the printable version
2017 The Wheels of Justice: Understanding the Pace of Civil High Court Cases Toy-Cronin, Bridgette., Irvine, Bridget., Stewart, Kayla., Henaghan, Mark.
Synopsis: In a New Zealand first, a team of researchers from the University of Otago Legal Issues Centre have investigated the length of High Court civil cases. The goal of this research was to examine if, and where, delays occurred, as well as to see what could be done about them.
The research, co-funded by the New Zealand Law Foundation, included a quantitative analysis of Ministry of Justice data, analysis of physical court files, and interviews with lawyers, judges, court staff and litigants.
An important finding of the study was that overall length of a case does not tell the full picture. There is a need to look much deeper to see what is really happening, and to be more sophisticated in thinking about what we want from the justice system. Speed is one important goal but so is fairness and justice and keeping down cost.
Potential solutions to address various causes of delay include earlier identification of issues in dispute; greater inclusion of litigants earlier in the process; improving the timing and methods of eliciting witness evidence; considering judicial specialisation; protecting judgment-writing time; and harnessing the benefits of modern technology.
There is also an urgent need to improve data about who uses our courts, whether or not they are represented, and how their cases proceed.
2017 New Zealand Women Judges Oral Histories Project: Part 2 Chan, Elizabeth
Synopsis: This article is the PART-2 summary of the concluding part of the Women Judges Oral History Project and has been prepared by former Supreme Court clerk Elizabeth Chan. The Oral History project, under the leadership of Justice Susan Glazebrook and Dame Judith Potter, conducted life history interviews with 24 women judges. This PART-2 article is the result of Ms Chan reviewing the interview transcripts of the women judges who took part in this project. The themes arising from the first nine interviews are discussed in Ms Chan's 2014 article published by Victoria University Law Review. This article includes findings from the remaining 15 interviews. The aims of the project were: (1) To record and assess experiences and perspectives on law and judging (2) To record and assess the varied careers of the judges and their contributions to the legal profession and the judiciary both in New Zealand and internationally (3) To contribute to an understanding of the low levels of participation of women in the legal profession and the judiciary.
2017 Women Experiencing Discrimination -2016 - Aotearoa New Zealand Non-Governmental Organisations REPORT National Council of Women of New Zealand
Synopsis: Comments on the UN CEDAW Monitoring Committee on New Zealand's progress in implementing the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
PDF / Softcover 74 pages
2016 Pathways to Prosperity: Safeguarding Biodiversity in Development Brown, Marie A.
Synopsis: Pathways to Prosperity is a follow-up publication to EDS's Vanishing Nature, also written by Senior Policy Analyst Dr Marie Brown and funded by the Law Foundation. It focuses on how to better safeguard biodiversity in development. It describes present approaches to managing development and proposes a range of policy and practice improvements to enhance environmental outcomes and regulatory efficiency. These improvements range from the improved use of bonds under the Resource Management Act 1991 and the increased use of outcome-based conditions through to a National Policy Statement on Indigenous Biodiversity and more effective planning at a strategic level. Pathways to Prosperity will be of particular interest to resource managers, developers, council officials and environmental groups. Dr Brown says "Ad hoc biodiversity protection has failed to address cumulative effects over time, leaving our flora and fauna in a perilous state. We think we've devised a package of ideas that will put us on the path toward a more prosperous future with thriving ecosystems and a robust economy."
Soft Cover 74 pages
2016 First steps - The Experiences and Retention of New Zealand's Junior Lawyers Pemberton, Joshua
2016 Mental Capacity - Updating New Zealand's Law and Practice Douglass, Alison
Synopsis: This report is the result of a legal research project undertaken by the writer as the 2014 recipient of the New Zealand Law Foundation International Research Fellowship. The project has involved analysis of relevant New Zealand law plus analysis of the legislative framework provided by the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (for England and Wales) and its associated Code of Practice. Key informants for this research include leading experts, academics and members of the judiciary in the United Kingdom, as well as a wide range of people working in the health and disability sector in New Zealand. A survey of doctors' educational needs was undertaken to inform the toolkit on assessing capacity.
Softcover 260 pages and micro-website
Radio NZ interview with Alison Douglass 26 July 20
2016 Barriers to Education in New Zealand: The Rise of Informal Removals of Students in New Zealand Walsh, Jennifer.
Synopsis: This research examines barriers to inclusive education in New Zealand. Inclusive education refers to the ability of students to access and gain the benefits of a right to education. The research aimed to gain a snapshot of student experiences in order to assess whether barriers to inclusive education existed in New Zealand. In particular, to investigate the phenomena known as "kiwi suspension" or illegal suspensions where students are covertly encouraged to withdraw from school. One of the primary goals was to provide a basis to indicate where there may be need for further research to assess the scale and frequency of any identified barriers to education. A secondary goal was to assess the findings and propose potential ameliorative law reform. The research data was sourced from individual accounts of student experiences. The stories were gathered through a public survey and through analysis of Youthlaw's own historical case files. This information was assessed in light of statistical data from the Ministry of Education ("MOE"), domestic law and policy and international literature.
2016 Study of Grandparents in Family Court Proceedings over their Grandchildren prior to the 2014 Changes to the Court Gordon, Liz
Synopsis: This study reports the results of a quantitative and qualitative survey conducted with a group of grandparents raising their grandchildren who had been involved in custody and guardianship matters in the Family Court prior to the 2014 changes. The sample was derived from an earlier, larger study of grandparents raising grandchildren (Gordon, 2016). In total 138 participants were interviewed via a CATI - computer assisted telephone interview. Most of the participants went to the Family Court to get custody and guardianship of one or more grandchildren. They did so under their own steam in order to add certainty to existing arrangements, or on the instructions of Child, Youth and Family (CYF). Many were concerned about the welfare of their grandchildren. Some needed to gain guardianship before they were able to access the Unsupported Child Benefit. The study reports on a range of aspects related to the participants' experiences with the Family Court. Here are some key things it covers: why they became involved; whether a lawyer was appointed to represent them, how they rated them and how much they paid for their services; whether they received legal aid and whether they had to repay it; who the opposing parties were; how easy they found the process; whether they were involved with mediation and how successful this was; whether the children got a say; whether they got the outcome they sought; the stability of the arrangements; how they rated the whole Family Court experience.
2015 Evaluation of the 2014 Family Law Reforms: Phase One Henaghan, Mark, Gollop, Megan., Taylor, Nicola
Children's Issues Centre, University of Otago
2015 Fault lines: Human rights in New Zealand McGregor, Judy., Bell, Sylvia., Wilson Margaret.
Synopsis: A report on the status of human rights in New Zealand says serious fault lines are developing and that the country's reputation as a global leader is at risk. "A three year study of the six major human rights treaties that New Zealand has signed shows we're better at talking about human rights than walking the talk and implementing our promises made internationally," says Auckland University of Technology's Professor Judy McGregor, co-author of Fault lines: Human rights in New Zealand. The report suggests New Zealand needs to take urgent remedial action to retain its point of difference as a human rights leader. It is also critical of the level of understanding of Members of Parliament of human rights treaty obligations. It suggests 13 recommendations to help New Zealand retain human rights leadership including a comprehensive rewrite of human rights legislation, a new parliamentary select committee to deal with human rights and the urgent repeal of non-human rights compliant legislation to reinstate the rights of all New Zealanders to complain about discrimination. The recommendations also suggest a new more proactive role for the Māori Affairs Select Committee in monitoring New Zealand's response to the United Nations about closing the inequality gaps. More New Zealanders should be nominated for significant UN human rights treaty bodies and journalists need better training in the reporting of treaty body reports which remain largely invisible to the public. New Zealand has ratified six international treaties covering political, civil, economic, social and cultural rights, racial discrimination and the rights of women, children and people with disabilities. Fault lines, examines each of the treaties and New Zealand's engagement in the Universal Periodic Review, an overview of human rights progress. The report is based on interviews in New Zealand and at the United Nations, case law, analysis of treaty body reports and personal observation.
McGregor, Judy., Bell, Sylvia., Wilson Margaret.
PDF, 211 pages
Stuff News item 2/4/2015
2015 Understanding the Problem: an Analysis of ACC Appeals Processes to Identify Barriers to Access to Justice for Injured New Zealanders Forster, Warren., Powell, Denise., Barraclough, Tom., Mijatov, Tiho
Synopsis: The report examines more than 500 written decisions of the District Court, High Court and Court of Appeal that were decided between 2009 and 2015. The aim of the research was to identify barriers to access to justice faced by people seeking to dispute ACC decisions through the statutory dispute resolution process in the courts. The research report shows that people disputing ACC decisions lack the resources required to present an arguable case. It finds that claimants have not been getting access to justice, and that reform is needed to address the barriers. The authors see the need for constructive dialogue with stakeholders in the ACC system and for advancing towards a human rights focus for the ACC system. They hope the Government will engage in further consultation with injured people under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities before introducing legislation to Parliament.
PDF 176 pages
2015 Superdiversity, Democracy & New Zealand's Electoral & Referenda Laws Chen, Mai
Synopsis: "Superdiversity, Democracy and New Zealand's Electoral and Referenda Laws" analyses the accommodations which New Zealand's electoral laws already make for eligible voters with little or no English, and makes recommendations for improvements based on our review of the electoral systems of comparable superdiverse cities and countries overseas.
2015 Keeping Up Appearances: Accessing New Zealand's Civil Courts as a Litigant in Person Toy-Cronin, Bridgette.
Synopsis: The thesis asks, why are litigants going to New Zealand's civil courts without a lawyer? What is their experience of litigating in person? How do the inhabitants of the court system - the judges, lawyers and court staff - perceive litigants in person and respond to them? The research participants included litigants in person (LiPs) (34), court staff (8), lawyers (16) and judges (13), so that their different perspectives could be considered. The thesis argues that there is a contradiction underlying the promise of LiP access to the courts. The courts promise a forum to vindicate citizens' rights. Without this forum, their rights are empty, merely occurring on the books and not in reality. Yet the courts do not have the resources to hear all the claims citizens have. To appear to provide justice and control their process, the courts must both promise and limit access simultaneously. Normally lawyers play a central role in mediating such access, by screening and translating claims, and negotiating clients towards settlement. LiPs come straight to the courts, however, and threaten this delicate balance. They also struggle to access the courts in a meaningful way, not necessarily because of any particular personal deficits, but because there are so many complexities and conflicts that cannot be easily overcome by a litigant advocating their own cause. The thesis considers various policy reforms and encourages a re-evaluation of the stereotypical view of LiPs, as a means by which the delicate balance between projecting accessibility and protecting the scarce resource of court time might be somewhat restored. It also argues that reforms within the court system alone cannot offer a complete answer. Broader social responses, that address access to justice for people likely to become LiPs, must look beyond the courts, to policies that address inequalities of wealth and promote social justice.
2014 Adopting Issues: Final report to the United Nations Committee on the Convention on The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Forster, Warren., Powell, Denise (Dr)., Barraclough, Tom.
Synopsis: This is a final report to the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disability (CRPD) Committee that raises issues people disabled by injury face by reference to the articles of the Convention.
2014 Better and Better and Better? A Legal and Ethical Analysis of Preventive Detention in New Zealand Gavaghan, Colin., Snelling Jeanne., McMillan, John.
Synopsis: The passing of New Zealand's Public Safety (Public Protection Orders) Bill has coincided with the publication of this report from Otago University academics that looks into the role of preventive detention in New Zealand. The report traces the trend towards measures that aim not just to punish crime, but to prevent its occurrence. The authors note that various civil and criminal measures already exist that are oriented towards future risk (preventive detention at sentence, Extended Supervision Orders, and civil detention schemes). The new law, though, takes this to a new level. These new orders will mean people can be locked up, possibly forever, based not on the crimes they've committed, but on the basis of predictions about what we think they might do in future. The report acknowledges that protecting citizens from dangerous offenders is an important duty - moral as well as legal. And it doesn't entirely reject the possibility that detention may occasionally be required to achieve this. Questions remain, though, as to whether PPOs are the most effective or proportionate means of achieving this. A major focus of the report is on the question of how accurately we can predict future dangerousness. While there appears to be no consensus on this question, even among experts, the authors of the report did encounter repeated warnings about over-reliance on contested methodologies, and about decisions being skewed by fears of the professional and public consequences. The report suggests that one way of minimizing such dangers may be to set up an independent risk assessment body, perhaps along the lines of Scotland's Risk Management Authority, which seeks to ensure that decisions about potentially dangerous offenders are based on the best independent evidence.
2014 Developing a more responsive legal system for people with intellectual disability in New Zealand Mirfin-Veitch,Brigit., Diesfeld, Kate., Gates, Sue., Henaghan, Mark.
Synopsis: This report provides an overview of findings generated through a research project that commenced in 2012. This two-year study created an opportunity to explore the legal experiences of people with intellectual disability and those of lawyers and judges with knowledge of this group. It is intended that the research be used to inform legislation, policy and practice in the area of intellectual disability and the legal system. Furthermore, the research has the potential to contribute information about the extent to which New Zealand is giving expression to the UNCRPD, in particular Articles 12 (equal recognition before the law) and 13 (access to justice), and to identify issues and areas that require attention.
2014 New Zealand Coroners' Recommendations 2007-2012 Moore, Jennifer., Henaghan, Mark.
Synopsis: The central aim of this study was to describe and investigate the nature, recipients, and preventive potential of NZ coroners' recommendations from 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2012. This research also aimed to inform coronial practice, improve the preventive potential of coronial recommendations, and inform the debate about whether the Coroners Act 2006 should be amended to include a mandatory response regime.
PDF - 430 pages
News Release 5-Jan-2015: Better Government Reforms
2014 Women Trailblazers in the Law: The New Zealand Women Judges Oral Histories Project: PART 1 Chan, Elizabeth
Synopsis: This article is PART-1 of the New Zealand Women Judges Oral Histories Project. It aims to provide the first national, publicly accessible records of the lives and careers of trailblazing women judges (and lawyers) in New Zealand. It provides an overview of the New Zealand Women Judges Oral Histories Project and explores two major themes from the first nine interviews conducted with current and retired women judges. The first theme examines the women judges stories from a cultural perspective, the second identifies the challenges the women judges faced because of their gender and their attempts to break gender barriers. It concludes by reflecting on what we can learn from these stories and what younger generations of women in the law might strive to achieve in the future.
Victoria University of Wellington Law Review, 45, 407-436. 2014.
2013 Expert Witnesses Under Examination in the New Zealand Criminal and Family Courts Henderson, Emily., Seymour, Fred.
Synopsis: This is a qualitative empirical research project examining the experiences of experts who testify in both the criminal and Family Courts in New Zealand regarding child abuse and neglect and sexual assault generally. The study considers whether there is truth in the anecdotal accounts of widespread reluctance amongst experts and it also examines lawyers' and judges' suspicions of bias amongst experts. It considers the areas of the court process which experts find most difficult and proposes a number of solutions.
2013 Safeguarding the Rights of People Detained for Compulsory Psychiatric Treatment - the Role of the District Inspector Thom, Katey., Prebble, Kate., Black, Stella., Diesfield, Kate.
Synopsis: This report focuses on the role of District Inspectors under New Zealand's Mental Health Act. It highlights areas worthy of further consideration, including future support and training for District Inspectors, and the need to ensure stakeholders have an understanding about the role.
Centre for Mental Health Research, University of Auckland School of Nursing
2013 REPORT 1: A Review of Alcohol and Other Drug Court Evaluations Meehan, Claire., Thom, Katey., Mills, Alice.
Synopsis: This report provides a review of the literature surrounding the origin and implementation of Alcohol and Other Drug Courts in NZ, followed by a critical analysis of the existing methods used to evaluate AODCs internationally. By synthesising the existing literature, this report highlights the strengths and weaknesses of existing evaluations with the aim of informing the future research of AODCs.
2013 REPORT 2: Evaluating Community Justice - a review of research literature Thom, Katey., Mills, Alice., Meehan, Claire., Chetty, Marylin.
Synopsis: This report provides a comprehensive overview and critical exploration of existing evaluations on community courts and justice centres. It is hoped this report will act as a resource for future considerations of the development, implementation and on-going evaluation of community justice approaches in NZ.
2013 REPORT 3: Evaluating the Aims, Methods and Results of Indigenous Courts Black, Stella., Kidd, Jacquie., Thom, Katey., Meehan, Claire.
Synopsis: This report examines each of the eight indigenous courts that have been subjected to evaluation research. By synthesising the existing literature, this review attempts to highlight the strengths and limitations of existing studies, thereby informing future research of indigenous courts.
2013 REPORT 4: Family Violence Courts - a Review of the Literature Mills, Alice., Thom, Katey., Meehan, Claire., Chetty, Marilyn.
Synopsis: This review focuses on the existing evaluation research on specialist family courts that has taken place primarily in Commonwealth jurisdictions and, to a lesser extent, the United States. The review begins with a brief overview of the development of family violence courts and then considers existing evaluations, highlighting the methodological approaches used and the key findings. The review concludes by considering the contributions of the existing research for future evaluations of family violence courts.
2013 REPORT 5: Evaluating Problem-Solving Courts in New Zealand - a Synopsis Report Mills, Alice., Thom, Katey., Meehan, Claire., McKenna, Brian.
Synopsis: Currently there is limited research available on the function and effectiveness of the problem-solving courts in NZ. This report, outlines a preparatory study of the problem-solving movement in NZ, with a view of providing the foundations for future evaluations which are methodologically robust and theoretically grounded.
2013 Shadow Report to the 18th, 19th and 20th consolidated report of the New Zealand Government under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) Human Rights Foundation of Aotearoa New Zealand
Synopsis: 2013 Shadow Report to the UN Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD)
2012 Youth Advocates in Aotearoa/New Zealand's Youth Justice System. - exploring the roles, functions and responsibilities of lawyers for young people. Cleland, Alison
Synopsis: Alison's investigation found that the role of Youth Advocates is a complex one that requires specialist training for working with young offenders. The work frequently goes beyond providing basic advocacy to being a mentor and supporter. It is this specialised expertise that is important for ensuring young people know what they are charged with, can give instructions and understand the consequences of being involved in the process. The report raised concerns that the Government's Legal Assistance (Sustainability) Bill would remove the specialist criteria for appointments to this role, and that this would be a real threat to the system. The government has subsequently announced that it will no longer insist on bringing youth advocates under the Ministry of Justice generic criteria for appointment.
2012 PART 1 Parenting Orders in the Family Court Pryor, Jan
Synopsis: This project has two major components (1) an interview study with 28 Court Professionals carried out in order to elicit their views and perspectives on the Family Court. (2) a survey of 190 parents who had separated was carried out, to elicit their experiences of using the Court. Of these 128 had had Orders made, and 62 had solved their issues without recourse to the Court other than, in a few cases, for counselling. The findings of the interview component were reported in a submission to the consultation committee for the review of the Family Court. This report summarises the findings of the survey component.
Roy McKenzie Centre for the Study of Families, School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington.
2012 PART 2 Review of Family Court: the views of Family Court Professionals Pryor, Jan., Major, Elizabeth.
Synopsis: This paper responds to the consultation paper issued by the Ministry of Justice in September 2011. It reports some findings from a bigger project funded by the Law Foundation to inform responses in particular to the third point in the terms of reference: The role of professionals (lawyers, psychologists, mediators, counsellors and Family Court Coordinators) in the delivery of Family Court services. Twenty eight professionals were interviewed. Findings are presented first in summary form that is relevant to some questions posed in the consultation paper. In-depth presentation of the findings follows, providing a context for the conclusions.
2011 A Preliminary Study on Civil Case Progression Times in New Zealand Laing, Rachel., Righarts, Saskia., Henaghan, Mark
Synopsis: Delays in New Zealand's Civil System
2011 Archiving Our Culture in a Digital Environment: Copyright law and digitisation practices in cultural heritage institutions Corbett, Susan
Synopsis: This report presents the findings from interviews conducted with 26 employees involved in different aspects of the digitisation projects at seven New Zealand cultural heritage institutions (CHIs). The research project focused on copyright law and the digitisation of CHIs' collections. The digitisation of Māori cultural heritage adds another dimension to the activities of New Zealand CHIs, and this area was also explored in the interviews.
Victoria University, Wellington NZ
2011 A Preliminary Study on Civil Case Progression Times in New Zealand Laing, Rachel., Righarts, Saskia., Henaghan, Mark.
Synopsis: This preliminary study investigates whether there is empirical data to support concerns raised by court users and members of the legal profession about the time it takes for civil cases to progress. The project obtained data on progression times from the Ministry of Justice (for District and High Court cases) and the Disputes Tribunal. The results report the average time it takes for specific cases to progress through the system since 2005. However, further research is required to understand what factors contribute to lengthy litigation, and to develop a model for measuring civil case progression - one that takes into account the fact that efficiency is just not about how long a case takes to resolve but about the quality of the process.
2011 People with Intellectual Disability in the NZ Legal System - Consultation Project Mirfin-Veitch, Brigit., Diesfeld, Kate., Henaghan, Mark., Gates, Sue.
Synopsis: This 2011 report details the findings of a consultation project designed to provide an accurate assessment of the need for ongoing legal education and legal research in the areas of intellectual disability.
2010 Behavioural economics and the regulation of consumer credit - Case Study - Second paper of two Tooth, Richard
Synopsis: The purpose of this paper is to use a case study to examine the consumer credit market through the lens of behavioural economics. This paper supplements a 'companion paper' titled 'Implications of behavioural economics for regulatory reform in New Zealand'. This case study considers whether behavioural economics sheds light on the nature of consumer issues with the consumer credit market and how regulation might be used to address these issues. In doing so, it aims to illustrate the advantages, and the pitfalls, of applying behavoural economics to questions of regulatory reform.
2010 Child Witnesses in the New Zealand Criminal Courts - a review of practice and implications for policy Hanna, Kirsten., Davies, Emma., Henderson, Emily., Crothers, Charles., Rotherham, Clare.
Synopsis: Ensuring that all accused persons have a fair trial, and obtaining the most accurate and complete testimony from witnesses, are critical to the quality of justice delivered by the courts. Testifying can be difficult for adults, let alone children. Indeed concerns have been raised in New Zealand about the treatment of child witnesses since at least the 1960s. The purpose of this study is to see how far we have come today in addressing the concerns since then, and the extent to which measures adopted to ameliorate conditions for children - while protecting accused adults - have achieved their aims.
Institute of Public Policy, Auckland University of Technology, NZ
2010 Implications of behavioural economics for regulatory reform in New Zealand - The Guide - First paper of two Irwin, Timothy
Synopsis: This paper investigates the implications of behavioural economics for regulation in New Zealand. It argues that behavioural economics should be taken seriously by those involved in the design of regulation and gives examples of existing regulations and possible regulatory changes that find some support in behavioural economics. It doesn't, however, attempt the comprehensive analysis that would be needed to make recommendations. It also explores how regulations should be judged if people cannot be assumed to be rational and considers whether paternalism is sometimes justified. Lastly, it argues that behavioural economics supports rules that require regulatory impact analysis and it makes suggestions for improving the process of analysing regulation.
2010 Relocation Following Parental Separation: the welfare and best interests of children Taylor, Nicola., Gollop, Megan., Henaghan, Mark.
Synopsis: One hundred New Zealand families where a parent had relocated (or sought to relocate) with the children, and that move would have a significant impact on contact arrangements with the other parent, were recruited to take part in the study. The sample comprised 114 parents and 44 children (aged 7-18 years) from 30 of the 100 families. The first round of in-depth, semi-structured parent and child interviews was conducted in 2007 and 2008, with follow-up interviews undertaken with the parents 12-18 months later. Some standardised measures were also administered with the parents to assess their child's social and emotional development and to collect demographic and inter-parental relationship data. Just over half (51%) of the families had their relocation disputes determined by the Family Court or the High Court on appeal. This research report describes the methodology employed in undertaking the study and reports on the diversity and complexity of the twelve relocation sequences that emerged in the parent data. The key findings from the interviews with the 44 children are also presented. Consideration is given to the statutory framework governing relocation disputes in New Zealand, and to analysis of adjudication trends in New Zealand's case law over the past twenty years.
Centre for Research on Children and Families, University of Otago, NZ
2009 Improving Environmental Governance - the role of an Environmental Protection Authority In NZ Peart, Raewyn
Synopsis: The government is proposing to establish an Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) in New Zealand. To help inform the design of the new authority, EDS has undertaken a review of six EPAs in comparable jurisdictions, and completed an analysis of the current weaknesses in New Zealand's environmental governance system. Based on this work (described in this paper), EDS has developed recommendations on the structure and functions of the new EPA.
Environmental Defence Society Inc., Auckland NZ
2009 Child Inclusion in Dispute Resolution in the New Zealand Family Court - a position paper Goldson, Jill
Synopsis: This paper provides an overview of developments relevant to the involvement of children in NZ Family Court conciliation processes; both in New Zealand and overseas. It considers the role of Family Court professionals who work with children (under the Care of Children Amendment Act 2008), and makes recommendations for implementing training and regulations around working with children in the family law context.