Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | Video | Questions Of the Day | Search

 


Concerns growing over the future of Waitakere Family Court

Wednesday, 4 May 2011, 2:09 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party

Rick Barker
Courts Spokesperson
Carmel Sepuloni
Labour List MP based in Waitakere

Wednesday, 4 May 2011

Concerns growing over the future of Waitakere Family Court

There are deep and growing concerns that the shifting of court work from Waitakere City into central Auckland will prove a barrier to justice for many people living in the west, says Rick Barker, Labour’s Courts spokesperson.

“Transferring Family Court cases to central Auckland making Justice remote will cause unnecessary stress for individuals seeking justice. When considering making Auckland a single city, people didn’t think this was going to be done to the Justice system too. If Waitakere is too small for its own Family Court where will be large enough and what is the future of other Family Courts?” Rick Barker said.

Waitakere Labour candidate and list MP Carmel Sepuloni says: “Court situations are often very stressful anyway, and having to travel further away is an unnecessary burden for the Waitakere community, particularly when their local Family Court has been one of the most efficient in the country.

"Family Court hearings can be traumatic experiences and the added stress and difficulty can only make this worse."

Carmel Sepuloni said that in 2010 the Waitakere Family Court processed 5341 applications with one full time judge, and in the same time the Auckland courts managed around 6650 applications.

“If efficiency is what the Government is looking for perhaps it should look more closely at some of the numbers,” Carmel Sepuloni says

“A lot of the local knowledge and community relationships that exist within the Waitakere Family Court will be strained if services are crammed into Auckland city.

“Community organisations rely on these existing relationships to deliver customised support to individuals and families in the court system, and while Labour supports efficient running of the courts this should never be at the expense of access to justice,” Carmel Sepuloni says.

“The Minister needs to think very carefully about the direction of this review especially if the outcome means unnecessary strain on Waitakere’s already well-functioning court and the sacrifice of community support for individuals and families in the court system.”

Rick Barker says “Court Services should be provided in the local community, Waitakere has a good court, it’s functioning well, and the relocation into the centre of Auckland will simply make justice remote. This will be to the detriment of the community and individuals who seek the services of the court.”

ENDS

 
 
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines

NEW ZEALAND POLITICS > >


 

Labour refers Liu case to Auditor-General

Labour Leader David Shearer has sent a letter to the Auditor-General asking her to investigate the decision-making process around the case involving Chinese businessman Bill Liu. More>>

Also:


Waikato-Tainui Celebrates End of Lock-Out

Tom Roa, Chair of Te Arataura, Waikato Tainui’s executive has welcomed news that the ten week lock-out of Horotiu workers is drawing to a dramatic close.
“We are all extremely pleased to see this day finally arrive,” said Tom Roa. More>>

Also:

Meridian dumps West Coast hydro plan

(Image: blog.greens.org.nz by Q)

May 22 (BusinessDesk) - Opposition to Meridian Energy's plans for a 100 Megawatt hydro-electric scheme on the undammed Mokihinui River on the South Island's West Coast has forced its abandonment, the state-owned power company has announced. More >>

Fisheries: Slave Labour And Foreign Vessels
The Government has announced it is to require reflagging of foreign-owned fishing vessels operating in New Zealand waters to address labour, safety and fisheries practice concerns. More >>

Also


Budget 2012: Crime And Punishment
Budget 2012 will contribute to a 25 per cent reduction in reoffending by 2017, and 18,500 fewer victims of crime every year from 2017, Corrections Minister Anne Tolley and Associate Corrections Minister Dr Pita Sharples say. More >>

Also:


Elections: Time Running Out to Take Part in Electoral Commission’s MMP Review

Time is running out to have your say on improvements you’d like to see made to our MMP voting system. With only two weeks to go until the first consultation period of the MMP Review closes, the Electoral Commission has received more than 3700 submissions ... More >>


Christchurch: More Green Zoning And More Red Zoning

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee has announced the final decision in almost 11 months of flat land residential zoning in Canterbury…

“It brings the number of residential properties zoned red because they are unsuitable for residential occupation to 7256.” More >>

Gerry Brownlee also announced the green zoning of 421 residential properties in the Port Hills, leaving 1679 houses still under review. More>>

ALSO:


Budget 2012: Squeezing Every Drop Out Of A Zero Budget
The Government is trying to squeeze every drop of publicity out of its ``Zero Budget’’ ahead of its delivery next Thursday.More >>

Gordon Campbell On the Politics of Austerity: Later this month, New Zealand will be subjected to its second austerity Budget in a row. Zero budgeting is being presented as the only path of virtue. This is despite the fact that - elsewhere in the real world - it has been a very bad week indeed for the politics of austerity.More >>
Also

  • Business.Desk - Smokes, booze and property tax breaks prime targets for Budget
  • Labour - User Pays Plan Confirms Failure
  • Labour - Cuts to classes result of government failure
  • ACT - Performance Based Pay for Teachers Long Overdue

  • Budget 2012: Recovery of Canterbury on Track
  • Budget 2012 - Prescription Charges Help Fund Health
  • Budget 2012: Education – Larger Classes For More Money
  • Budget 2012: $144m more for disability support

    • Housing: Social Housing Money Handed Out
    People in need will get the most benefit from Government funding for new housing projects, to be developed by non-government providers. Housing Minister Phil Heatley has announced the successful applicants to the $25.3 million Social Housing Unit ... More >>

    ALSO:

    Iti Jailed In Operation 8 Case
    October 15th Solidarity Group on Sentencing -The sentences of 2.5 years for Taame Iti and Rangi Kemara are manifestly unjust. This is an outrage. The sentences of Urs Signer and Emily Bailey are equally absurd. The judge sought to retry the entire case at sentencing today and himself decided their fate. It is an outrage.More>>

    Also:

    Earlier Trial Coverage:


    Parliament Today: Urgency Follows Budget
    The House moved into Urgency this afternoon after leaders gave their speeches in reply to the Budget Speech.More...

    Also:


    Budget 2012: Prescription Charges Help Fund Health
    Health Minister Tony Ryall has announced the Government will increase the $3 prescription charge to $5 per item up to a maximum of 20 items from 1 January 2013. The savings will be reinvested in the health sector. More >>
    Also:

    Court of Appeal: Govt Should Pay Family Caregivers
    The victory in the Court of Appeal for families caring for disabled family members should be taken notice of by the Government says Green MP Catherine DelahuntyMore >>

    ALSO:

    LATEST HEADLINES

    More RSS  RSS
     
    More RSS  RSS News AlertsNews Alerts
     
     
     
    Parliament
    Search Scoop  
     
     
    powered by newsagent
    NZ independent news