Crime rates have dropped to their lowest level for 24 years - but police are not solving any more of their cases. Instead, they say they are focusing on preventing major crimes, rather than resolving minor ones. The drop in crime figures across the board come at the same time as courts statistics show a 14 per cent fall in new cases entering the justice system's busiest jurisdiction - District Court cases dealt with by judges sitting alone. The drop is primarily a result of the police ...

Planned reforms to the Family Court need to focus on the right issues, argues men's rights advocate Craig Jackson.

Powerful women's domestic violence lobby groups have already spoken out strongly about changes to the domestic violence legislation which are part and parcel of a number of other far-reaching changes to our Family Court. These include the intended repeal of clause 60, a repeal many would welcome as it is repugnant to natural justice. At present,...

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Common sense has gone to the dogs at the​ Auckland City Council after a dispute over $300 ticket turned into a $20,000 legal battle. The saga began when a summons was posted to Whangaparoa resident Jane Siemer following an anonymous complaint alleging her pet schnauzer had “charged a person” in early 2011. The Council prosecuted the fine but failed to notify Mrs Siemer of the court hearing which resulted her contesting the criminal charge and fine. A rehearing was ordered but...

Court Of Injustice- circa 2001
A growing mens movement men suggests the legal pendulum in the Family Court has swung too far against fathers who want an equal role in raising children after relationships go wrong. Has anything changed in the past decade? Lauren Quaintance was a North & South senior writer who published this article in June 2001 North & South- NOBODY AT LAW school ever told Rob the law could be unfair. He was destined to be a commercial lawyer in a small firm dealing with ...

Paraparaumu resident Malcolm Rabson made headlines last year when the Court of Appeal ordered him to share real estate purchased from a $1.3 M lotto prize with his former partner Linda Gallagher. Yesterday he became homeless, after being evicted by the Court appointed trustee of his and his former partner’s trust, Wellington solicitor Wayne Chapman. It is the latest chapter in a protracted relationship split over an estate valued last year by the Court of Appeal at $2.6M, largely vested in three W...

Ministry of Justice staff insisted everything was fine and morale was high within the Family Court in Auckland, even as judges and lawyers described a system in chaos, official papers show. The Sunday Star-Times revealed in August how a new centralised processing system for the courts in Auckland had led to serious delays and huge backlogs within the Family Court, with the Law Society warning it was only a matter of time before someone was seriously hurst, or worse. Cases involving domes...

Judith Collins' announcement today that the legislation restricting access to the Family Court has raised concerns that it has been timed to avoid proper parliamentary scrutiny, Labour’s Charles Chauvel says. "I have had many messages of concern today from family lawyers, providers of counselling services, and others with expertise in the way the Family Court works. They are worried that the legislation being introduced today will be read a first time and then referred to a select committee on one ...

The Supreme Court today unanimously dismissed Vector's battle to overturn the Commerce Commission's ability to set the prices monopolies can charge to transport gas and electricity to customers. The ruling brings to an end the long running battle between the Auckland energy distributor and watchdog, which saw the two face off in the High Court and Court of Appeal, then wind up before the Supreme Court. Vector had won in the High Court, lost in the Court of Appeal, and then appealed to ...

In 2004, the controversial Family Court was going through a rough patch. Nelson MP Nick Smith had become the first MP to be convicted of contempt of court after publicly accusing it of robbing a couple of their child. Men's rights groups were also incensed, complaining the mysterious court favoured women and unfairly separated fathers from their children. At the time, the man who had stepped into the principal Family Court judge's shoes was unable to answer the criticism.Judge Peter Boshier...