Source: New Zealand Government
Improving people’s experience with the Justice system is at the heart of a package of Bills which passed its first reading today Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says.
“The 63 changes in these Bills will deliver real impacts for everyday New Zealanders. The changes will improve court timeliness and efficiency, boost access to justice, and reduce regulatory burdens,” Mrs McKee says.
The Regulatory Systems (Courts) Amendment Bill will enable coroners to better direct their resources to where they are most needed, and in doing so reduce wait-times and uncertainty for grieving families.
“We are enabling coroners’ cases to be dealt with more efficiently, which will mean families and whānau will receive coroners’ findings sooner.
“This Bill also strengthens the protections for witnesses and informants. It clarifies that information which may lead to the identification of the address of the place where a witness or informant works cannot be disclosed to the defendant, except in specific circumstances. This will increase safety and privacy for witnesses and informants,” Mrs McKee says.
The Regulatory Systems (Tribunals) Amendment Bill will increase access to justice by allowing the Disputes Tribunal to order the respondent to pay the filing fee to successful claimants.
This will make the system fairer for successful applicants to the Disputes Tribunal by enabling them to be reimbursed for the costs of enforcing their legal rights.
This Bill will also allow the Private Security Personnel Licensing Authority to accept complaints about people who are allegedly working without a licence or certificate of approval. This amendment will help to ensure that people working in the security industry are appropriately licensed and qualified. This should have a positive impact on public safety.
The final Bill in the package, the Regulatory Systems (Occupational Regulation) Amendment Bill, will increase operational efficiencies for regulators, reduce the burden of compliance and ensure services are performed with reasonable care and skill.
“This Bill will reduce the burden of regulatory compliance by removing the current five-year disqualification period for failure to complete a real estate agent’s continuing professional development requirement. No other profession has this disqualification period. It is a disproportionate response that stops people from working in their chosen profession for five years,” Mrs McKee says.
“It is clear that the justice system touches the lives of many people. We understand that engaging with the justice system can be frustrating, stressful, and confusing. These Bills are delivering on this Government’s commitment to improve access to justice, court timeliness, and the quality of existing regulation.”
