Dr Wayne Mapp National Justice Spokesperson

3 August 2001

Goff spinning out of time

Opposition Justice spokesperson Dr Wayne Mapp said today that National is surprised it has taken the Justice Minister over six months to announce legislation to be presented to the House.

Early this year Phil Goff announced support for a Law Commission recommendation that does away with unanimous verdicts. Today the Minister outlined legislative changes allowing majority verdicts.

"Why has it taken so long for the Minister to make such a simple amendment to the Juries Act, when he knows it enjoys such broad consensus and National supports it?

"It seems to me that the Minister's re-announcement strategy is aimed at giving the public the illusion of activity when in fact the Minister has yet to present any new legislation to the Justice and Electoral select committee.

"Phil Goff is now two-thirds the way through his term and is rapidly running out of time to take action on all the promises he made to the public in 1998 and 1999," Dr Mapp said

Ends

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