“The changes would significantly impair the independence of the judiciary. Currently, judges can only be removed by a two-thirds vote of Parliament on grounds of misbehaviour or mental impairment. The changes would empower the Judicial Services Commission, an executive body, to dismiss judges without cause or due process. This is a significant erosion of the […]
Legal task force in US and other actions around the globe as virus spreads
The ABA’s Task Force on Legal Needs Arising Out of the 2020 Pandemic includes representatives from top legal organisations. The group will identify legal needs arising from the pandemic, make recommendations to address those needs and help mobilise volunteer lawyers and legal professionals for people who need help.
Easy Ways To Check Your Employer Is Doing It By The Books
The world of employment is often a daunting one, particularly if you are new to being employed. Many large employers have HR departments which stand for human resources. The human resources department in a large corporation or business usually takes control of all the day-to-day runnings of the business that affect their employees. They are […]
Chief of Criminal Cases Review Commission announced
Colin Carruthers was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1990. He has had significant experience in criminal work, both prosecution and defence, including Serious Fraud Office prosecutions, tax prosecutions, securities prosecutions and other regulatory prosecutions.
Seven predictions for litigation and regulation in 2020 unveiled
The firm said that 2020 will be the year in which climate change will begin to be litigated in New Zealand. It said that climate change and the appropriate response is a defining issue and urged boards to become “earth-competent.”
Professor Amokura Kawharu to be Law Commission President
Associate Professor Kawharu, whose iwi affiliations are Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Whātua, holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Law degrees (with Honours) from Auckland University and a Masters of Laws (1st Class) with a major in international law from the University of Cambridge. She became member of the Auckland Law School academic staff in […]
Summary of new patent and trademark fees released
The review found that fees needed to change to reduce IPONZ’s memorandum account, to rebalance patent and trademark revenues, and to improve the efficiency of the patent and trademark regimes. The review did not find a need to change design services.
Initial Independent Children’s Monitor report released
Working from an outcomes based approach the Monitor will look at how the Oranga Tamariki system enhances the wellbeing and life outcomes for the children and young people it comes in contact with. Central to this is the important role whānau, hapū and iwi play in working with Oranga Tamariki to achieve positive experiences and […]
21 new District Court Judges appointed
Mr Parker says 10 of the new judges are Māori, eight Pākehā, one Māori/Chinese and two Samoan. Twelve of the new judges are women. “It’s pleasing to see high quality appointees coming forward from diverse backgrounds. It is important that the judiciary reflects the make-up of the community it serves,” he says.
Feedback from legal profession sought to close “justice gap”
In a recently released discussion paper, the statutory body detailed proposed improvements to the procedures to tackle this unmet need, which has been referred to as the “justice gap.” The gap is apparent, as shown by the increasing number of unrepresented litigants before the courts, including many litigants who cannot afford legal representation, the committee said.