Lou Girardin
17th March 2004, 06:07
Recent studies have thrown doubt on the value and future of the District Courts. The Minister of Justice said that, it's become apparent that most people pay their fines within the time allowed, while the rest don't pay at all. It's also a fact that the courts find in favour of the prosecution in the vast majority of cases. So we propose to dispense with the District Court level of the Justice system. The surplus Judges will be seconded to the Waitangi Tribunal, in order to expedite claims before there's a change of Government. Others will go to the Family Court as there is an unacceptable delay in the removal of children from inappropriate caregivers, according to the Ministry of Womens Affairs. The remaining Judges will sit on Employment Tribunals to speed up the hearing of employees grievances.
This will be a long overdue reform of the present archaic system of presumption of innocence and of proof beyong reasonable doubt and we believe the great majority of New Zealanders are fully behind these measures.
This will be a long overdue reform of the present archaic system of presumption of innocence and of proof beyong reasonable doubt and we believe the great majority of New Zealanders are fully behind these measures.