Latest news with #CrownLaw
Newsroom
27-05-2025
- Health
- Newsroom
Crown pulls witness at 11th hour as Govt overhauls Māori health policy
Health Minister Simeon Brown is reforming the 2022 legislation that underpins the health system restructure and codifies the Government's responsibility to achieve equitable health outcomes for Māori. The Government's plan to overhaul the Pae Ora (Health Futures) Act was revealed in a last-minute submission from Crown Law to the Waitangi Tribunal, ahead of this week's Health Services and Outcomes Inquiry priority hearing. And comes as the Government continues to implement its 'needs not race' policy agenda.
Otago Daily Times
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
RNZ blocked from revealing education report
By John Gerritsen of RNZ Attorney-General Judith Collins has been granted an emergency injunction by the High Court to block RNZ from publishing a story it says would damage the government's ability to take part in collective bargaining. The gag order prohibits RNZ from reporting the contents of a confidential education pre-Budget report, which court documents filed by the Attorney-General's office said contained "commercially sensitive information that would prejudice the government's ability to engage effectively in collective bargaining". The court-ordered injunction follows RNZ approaching the office of Education Minister Erica Stanford yesterday afternoon for comment after seeing a document titled "Report: Budget 25 Initiative Themes". The minister's office responded by warning RNZ not to publish any of the details contained in the paper. "I'm putting you on notice that you have sighted improperly released budget sensitive information", a spokesperson for the minister said. "It is not in the public interest to be released. Can you please confirm that information will not be published at this time? Can you please come back to me immediately." Emails contained in court documents show that, minutes later, the minister's office contacted Solicitor-General Una Jagose, KC, who is the chief executive of Crown Law, and legal action commenced to have RNZ restrained from using any information in the document it had seen. At 4pm yesterday, Justice Dale La Hood heard an urgent application from the Attorney-General and granted an interim injunction without notice preventing publication. "The defendants are restrained from publishing or disseminating themselves or by their agents any information contained in the 'Report: Budget 25 Initiative Themes'," he ordered. "For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in these orders restrains in any way any journalist from reporting on the Budget once delivered." The Attorney-General's office had applied for the injunction on the grounds that "the report is confidential and Budget sensitive and contains commercially sensitive information that would prejudice the government's ability to engage effectively in collective bargaining". "The defendants are aware that report was prepared for Budget purposes and are on notice of its confidential nature. It can only have come into the defendants' hands through a breach of confidence by a person(s) unknown to the plaintiff (breach of confidence). "The defendants are aware the information is confidential and that the plaintiff has asserted a right of confidentiality in the information. "Publication or dissemination of the report or information in it will further breach confidence. The dissemination that has already occurred has breached the plaintiff's rights of confidence in respect of the information, and any further publication will involve further such breaches." The Attorney-General also applied for an order that RNZ "return and deliver up the report held by or on behalf of the defendants". The report was the fourth in an unprecedented series of Budget-related education documents seen by RNZ in the past five weeks that have come via three different channels.
NZ Herald
21-05-2025
- Politics
- NZ Herald
RNZ issued gag order by Attorney-General over education story
'I'm putting you on notice that you have sighted improperly released Budget-sensitive information,' a spokesperson for the minister said. 'It is not in the public interest to be released. Can you please confirm that information will not be published at this time? Can you please come back to me immediately.' Emails contained in court documents show that, minutes later, the minister's office contacted Solicitor-General Una Jagose KC, who is the chief executive of Crown Law, and legal action commenced to have RNZ restrained from using any information in the document it had seen. At 4pm on Wednesday, Justice Dale La Hood heard an urgent application from the Attorney-General and granted an interim injunction without notice preventing publication. 'The defendants are restrained from publishing or disseminating themselves or by their agents any information contained in the 'Report: Budget 25 Initiative Themes',' he ordered. 'For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in these orders restrains in any way any journalist from reporting on the Budget once delivered.' The Attorney-General's office had applied for the injunction on the grounds that 'the report is confidential and Budget-sensitive and contains commercially sensitive information that would prejudice the Government's ability to engage effectively in collective bargaining'. 'The defendants are aware that report was prepared for Budget purposes and are on notice of its confidential nature. It can only have come into the defendants' hands through a breach of confidence by a person(s) unknown to the plaintiff (breach of confidence). 'The defendants are aware the information is confidential and that the plaintiff has asserted a right of confidentiality in the information. 'Publication or dissemination of the report or information in it will further breach confidence. The dissemination that has already occurred has breached the plaintiff's rights of confidence in respect of the information, and any further publication will involve further such breaches.' The Attorney-General also applied for an order that RNZ 'return and deliver up the report held by or on behalf of the defendants'. The report was the fourth in an unprecedented series of Budget-related education documents seen by RNZ in the past five weeks that have come via three different channels.
Scoop
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Appointment Round For King's Counsel Announced
Press Release – New Zealand Government The Solicitor-General will consult with the New Zealand Law Society and the New Zealand Bar Association regarding the candidates, Ms Collins says. Attorney-General Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced an appointment round for King's Counsel will take place in 2025. Appointments of King's Counsel are made by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the Attorney-General and with the concurrence of the Chief Justice. The Governor-General retains the discretion to appoint King's Counsel in recognition of their extraordinary contributions to the law in fields other than advocacy. 'The Solicitor-General will consult with the New Zealand Law Society and the New Zealand Bar Association regarding the candidates,' Ms Collins says. 'They provide important input into the final decisions, and I value the role the profession plays here. Nevertheless, decisions to recommend are mine and I take account of the full range of criteria for appointment set out in the Guidelines.' The guidelines and application form are available on the Crown Law website, and set out information about the appointment process. Applications are open from 12 May to 9 June 2025, and it is expected appointments will be made in September 2025.
Scoop
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Appointment Round For King's Counsel Announced
Attorney-General Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced an appointment round for King's Counsel will take place in 2025. Appointments of King's Counsel are made by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the Attorney-General and with the concurrence of the Chief Justice. The Governor-General retains the discretion to appoint King's Counsel in recognition of their extraordinary contributions to the law in fields other than advocacy. 'The Solicitor-General will consult with the New Zealand Law Society and the New Zealand Bar Association regarding the candidates,' Ms Collins says. 'They provide important input into the final decisions, and I value the role the profession plays here. Nevertheless, decisions to recommend are mine and I take account of the full range of criteria for appointment set out in the Guidelines.' The guidelines and application form are available on the Crown Law website, and set out information about the appointment process. Applications are open from 12 May to 9 June 2025, and it is expected appointments will be made in September 2025.
