A Bill to improve the court system’s response to sexual violence has passed its first reading in Parliament today.

A new report by the Ministry of Justice provides an important baseline for measuring the Government’s work to address and end sexual violence in New Zealand.

The Green Party has negotiated important civil liberties changes in the proposed Terrorism Suppression Bill which will now establish human rights and process safeguards. “We’ve ensured that foreign convictions and deportations won’t be accepted without proper scrutiny and we’ve ended the use of secret evidence without an advocate,” said Golriz Ghahraman, Green Party spokesperson for Justice. “We’ve been clear from the start about our key concerns. Our position in Government has allowed us to negotiate and get agreement from the...

News that previous National Trade Minister Todd McClay facilitated a large donation from racing industry billionaire Lin Lang demonstrates the need for donation reform in New Zealand. “This is deeply alarming and highlights why we need stronger and more transparent political donation laws”, says Green Party Electoral spokesperson Golriz Ghahraman. “This is another example of powerful vested interests tipping big money into the coffers of the National Party. This can be dangerous and we’ve seen this play out badly for...

The Green Party has welcomed the release of the Waitangi Tribunal report, which has called for the legislative ban on prisoner voting to be overturned.   Green Party Justice spokesperson Golriz Ghahraman said:   “The Supreme Court, and now the Waitangi Tribunal, has confirmed that denying these New Zealanders the ability to cast their vote on Election Day is an unacceptable breach of their fundamental rights.   “As a result they are excluded from processes that engage them in society,...

The Green Party has welcomed today’s First Reading of the Electoral Amendment Bill, which will strengthen participatory democracy in New Zealand. The Green Party will be working to strengthen the Bill as it proceeds through the House.  “Changes outlined in the bill are very welcome, particularly the addition of Election Day enrolment and increasing the number of places where New Zealanders can cast their vote. We know this will reduce barriers to people who are more likely to change addresses,...

The Government will introduce law changes later this year to ensure that the justice system, in prosecuting sexual violence cases, does no more harm to victims and survivors.

The Government will introduce law changes later this year to ensure that the justice system, in prosecuting sexual violence cases, does no more harm to victims and survivors. “Everyone who has been harmed by sexual violence deserves to have justice delivered without going through more, avoidable, trauma,” says Jan Logie, Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Minister of Justice, at HELP Auckland today. “Research consistently shows that giving evidence is the hardest part of the justice process for sexual violence victims. We...

New family violence laws will increase the safety of victims and their families, create effective interventions for people who use violence, and ensure every branch of the justice system is responding in a joined-up, appropriate way to the problem of family violence. The Family Violence and Family Violence (Amendments) Acts, which come into effect on 1 July, make a number of significant changes: updating the definition of family violence to include coercion and control, with examples such as dowry abuse,...

The Green Party welcome increased support for Community Law Centres so that more New Zealanders have access to justice, Greens Justice spokesperson Golriz Ghahraman said today. “Good legal support should be available for all.  “Everyone is entitled to legal representation and to know their rights. I’m glad this Government is working to ensure more people can access legal support across New Zealand. “For far too long, community legal centres have been buckling under pressure trying to provide fair and accessible legal support...