Maxim Institute - real issues - No 237

25 January 2006 www.maxim.org.nz

New research from Maxim Institute on "social justice"
Abolishing parole not the answer A
bortion case progressing through the courts

IN THE NEWS Politicians to debate social justice at Parachute this weekend Compulsory education could move to 18 in the UK New Zealand ranked fifth freest economy in the world

NEW RESEARCH FROM MAXIM INSTITUTE ON "SOCIAL JUSTICE"

"Social justice" is a hotly debated and highly fashionable concept. Almost anything and everything, from poverty relief to housing, have been justified as measures that promote social justice. Responses to the concept are equally varied, from politicians lauding social justice as the foundation of their policies, to Hayek's famous condemnation of it as meaningless and "intellectually disreputable".

Recent research by Dr Myron Friesen of the University of Canterbury sheds new light on this debate in the New Zealand context.

Dr Friesen's research, undertaken in partnership with Maxim Institute, set out to discover what New Zealanders think about social justice, including: what it is; what barriers hinder social justice; and what individuals can do to promote social justice in New Zealand. The research surveyed 258 people online at www.socialjustice.co.nz.

The research found that, even among what was a fairly monolithic sample, there was considerable variation when it came to defining social justice. Many respondents cited such things as "fairness", "equal distribution", "tolerance", "equal treatment" and "equal opportunity" as descriptors of what social justice looks like. These showed certain commonalities of concern, such as fairness, but also differences and even contradictions, such as the classic balancing act between liberty based on equal rights and equality of outcomes. Respondents were also divided on who had responsibility for achieving social justice; the government, the whole community, or individuals.

Despite these differences, there was remarkable agreement on one point: the duty and ability of ordinary people to work for social justice by getting involved in local communities, by caring about the issues and the people they affect and taking practical action. Respondents may have been at variance concerning the meaning of social justice, but they believed that we can, and must try, to pursue it. Fostering justice and social cohesion is the duty of ordinary people and it begins on this side of the fence.

Read an Issue Snapshot on Social Justice in New Zealand

Read the full report on this research

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ABOLISHING PAROLE NOT THE ANSWER

Repeat offender Graeme Burton has become something of a symbol for much of what is abhorrent about crime; a complete disregard for others and a callous mindset. Worse, Mr Burton's breach of parole is only one of a handful of violent attacks to have been discussed this summer.

Following this recent string of violent crimes, a stream of advocacy groups, victims' relatives and parole board members have filled our screens—many calling for harsher sentences and for parole to be abolished completely.

It is overly simplistic to say that parole is the only problem here; while inadequate supervision may be a culprit, it is not the only one. The problem revealed in this summer's incidents is much broader, and more complex. At some stage most offenders will be released back into the community. And if prison or other punitive measures have not been supplemented by something that transforms, then offenders will leave much the same as they went in. While we might feel safe while an offender is locked away, such measures by themselves might actually create a more dangerous future for society.

The cases this summer have shown that public safety depends, in part, on how well offenders re-integrate safely into the community after they have finished serving their prison sentence. There will always be those who re-offend, but in the long run, we are all safer if we focus not only on punishment, but on improving our work schemes, drug treatment and release support, so that when prisoners do come out, they are less likely to throw away their second chance.

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ABORTION CASE PROGRESSING THROUGH THE COURTS

Pro-life group, Right to Life New Zealand, won a significant battle in its case against the Abortion Supervisory Committee recently when the High Court refused the Committee's application to strike out some of Right to Life's evidence.

Right to Life's case alleges that the Committee has not been fulfilling its duties, and in support it has produced evidence from six women detailing their personal experiences with the abortion regime and evidence from a consultant psychiatrist.

Under the Contraception, Sterilisation and Abortion Act 1977, the Committee has a number of duties. These include reviewing the operation of abortion law in practice and ensuring that women considering abortion have access to adequate advice and counselling. Right to Life alleges that the Committee has allowed abortions to be performed outside the parameters of the Crimes Act 1961 and that the Committee has failed to provide sufficient oversight of counselling procedures.

Under the Crimes Act, abortion is illegal unless it can be justified on certain specified grounds. One of these grounds is that carrying on with the pregnancy would result in serious danger to the mother's mental health, and Right to Life alleges that the Committee has allowed this provision in particular to be abused. A Christchurch study reported last year that abortion, which is justified in many cases on the ground that it is necessary to protect the mother's mental health, may in fact cause serious adverse mental health problems for women who undergo it.

This week it was announced that the Committee has filed an appeal against the High Court's decision to allow Right to Life's evidence, creating another twist in the case.

In 2005, the most recent year for which figures are available, 17,531 abortions were performed in New Zealand. As 98.5 percent of these were justified on the ground that there was serious danger to the mother's mental health, the Right to Life case is tremendously important for the future of New Zealand's unborn children.

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IN THE NEWS

POLITICIANS TO DEBATE SOCIAL JUSTICE AT PARACHUTE THIS WEEKEND

Maxim Institute is pleased to be hosting the Social Justice Political Forum at the Parachute Festival this weekend. The forum will see MPs from Labour, National, Greens, New Zealand First and United Future debate how best to pursue social justice in New Zealand. It will no doubt be dynamic and interactive.

Read more about the Social Justice Political Forum at Parachute Festival '07

COMPULSORY EDUCATION COULD MOVE TO 18 IN THE UK

The British Secretary for Education, Alan Johnson, has proposed that British children should be in some form of education or training until they are 18, instead of the current 16 years old. The new proposal includes traditional and vocational education such as apprenticeships and formal work training. The short-term costs of such a move would be substantial, but Johnson hopes that over the long-term it would reduce welfare spending and produce more skilled workers. The debate about educational achievement and school leavers, both in Britain and New Zealand, will heat up if the proposal is adopted, although it has a long road to travel before it becomes law.

NEW ZEALAND RANKED FIFTH FREEST ECONOMY IN THE WORLD

New Zealand has been ranked fifth in the world in the Index of Economic Freedom for 2007, with an overall rating of 81.6 percent freedom for our economy. The Index, produced by the Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal, measures the relative freedom of economies and scores New Zealand highly in most areas, particularly business freedom (93.7 percent), freedom from corruption (96 percent) and labour freedom (89.9 percent). A free economy is necessary for vibrant growth and it is pleasing to see New Zealand move up the ranks. We must not take our relative freedom for granted, but rather continue to foster and it.

View the Index of Economic Freedom 2007

TALKING POINT

"The mainspring of a free and democratic society is the individual's sense of personal responsibility, and any system which erodes it endangers liberty by rendering people less able to play their part as free citizens."

David Green

ENDS

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