Green Bill to make judicial system more transparent pulled from ballot

The Register of pecuniary interests of judges Bill - pulled today from the Parliamentary private members' bill ballot - will provide greater transparency within the judicial system, Green Party justice spokesperson Dr Kennedy Graham said today.

The Register of pecuniary interests of judges Bill will require Judges to make an annual return of their pecuniary interests to the Judicial Conduct Commissioner. This information will be made publicly available.

“The purpose of my member’s bill is to promote greater transparency within the judicial system,” said Dr Graham.

“The messy situation around former justice Bill Wilson could have been avoided had New Zealand had a register of the financial interests of members of the judiciary.

Thieving from the kids: Ecological debt and other moral sins

Yesterday was my 18^th wedding anniversary.  It’s been a heart-warming 18 years on the personal front with Marilyn.  I’d marry her again tomorrow – assuming she’d have me.

The day before was less uplifting.  Saturday was Ecological Debt Day.

That is the day humanity has consumed, for the year, all the resources of the planet that it should if the planet is to be sustainable – if we are to pass it on in the same state we inherited it.

A fair trial includes the right to be there

A last-minute change to draft legislation in Parliament last night preserved the right of defendants to be present at their own trial and will help ensure that they get a fair go, said the Green Party today.

“It is great to see that the Government has listened to the Green, Labour and Maori parties and protected the right of defendants to be present at their own trial,” said Kennedy Graham, Green Party Justice Spokesperson.

The Courts (Remote Participation) Bill would have removed the right of defendants to be physically present at substantive criminal trials. The issue was raised in Select Committee by the Green Party but was ignored by the Government. A Supplementary Order Paper was introduced yesterday by Dr Graham to fix the problem.

Courts (Remote Participation) Bill in Committee Part 1 Dr Kennedy Graham

I listened with considerable interest to what the Minister has just said by way of explanation. I have to say that with respect he has not persuaded me in any way at all. I think in my year and a half in the 49th Parliament this is the most serious attack on constitutional rights that I have experienced. This Parliament has adopted 114 Acts reflecting Government legislation.

I pay tribute to the hard work that goes into that. I think it is important, while we are on this semi-jocular note that we do not denigrate the dignity of this discussion by introducing ad hominem, endless, interminable arguments about whether the previous Attorney-General was a lawyer, because that is a red herring, and this issue is far too important to try to politicise it and get red herrings going.

Question 12 Dr Kennedy Graham International Non-aggression Measures

Dr KENNEDY GRAHAM to the Minister of Foreign Affairs: Is the Government committed to ratifying promptly the amendment to the Rome Statute reflecting the resolution adopted by the states parties to the International Criminal Court at their review conference in Kampala on 11 June 2010, incorporating aggression as a justiciable crime?

Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs): The Government supports the resolution adopted by the review conference. The aggression amendment itself provides that the court's exercise of jurisdiction over the crime of aggression is subject to a decision to be taken by the States parties some time after 1 January 2017. The Government does not intend to ratify the amendment until after that decision has been taken.

1st reading International Non-Aggression Bill

Courts (Remote Participation) - Thanks

From: Kennedy Graham
Sent: Wednesday, 30 June 2010 10:02 p.m.
To: Green - MP
Cc: Green - Staff All
Subject: Courts (Remote Participation) - Thanks

Thanks to everyone for pitching in on this.
We won it -- a rare moment of parliamentary democracy at its best, and the Greens genuinely influencing things.

The Minister proposed an amendment that guarantees the right of a defendant to be physically present in a criminal trial.

So, we were able to withdraw our SOP (and Labour did theirs).

-------------------------------------
Dr. Kennedy Graham
MP, Green Party
Parliament Buildings
Wellington, NZ

ICC Review Conference & the Crime of Aggression Dr Kennedy Graham

I rise to draw the attention of the House to the quite extraordinary breakthrough that came out of the Review Conference of the International Criminal Court in Kampala last Saturday.

At this Conference, the states parties agreed, against all expectations, to adopt aggression as a justiciable crime in international law. There are many caveats entered into this agreement, and there is a considerable time delay before it becomes justiciable. But the fact that agreement has been reached, on this most critical of all issues of international law, is nothing short of remarkable. I believe it will come to be seen as the most important advance in international peace and security since 1945 when the UN Charter was adopted.

The Victoria University Greens present a petition at Parliament to Dr Kennedy Graham MP.

New Chance for NZ as Global Citizen on Aid

Helen Clark’s appointment to the role of Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) offers New Zealand an excellent opportunity to become a responsible global citizen on development aid, said Green Party MP Dr Kennedy Graham.

"The appointment by the UN Secretary-General is a tribute to her leadership skills."

"Ms Clark has served her country in so many wonderful ways."

"They do not however include the implementation of New Zealand’s commitment of reaching the UN aid target of 0.7% Gross National Income(GNI)," said Dr Graham, the Green Party spokesperson on Development Assistance.

Charity Shouldn’t Begin At Home for Overseas Aid

The Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully needs to tell the public just what will qualify as New Zealand Aid (NZAID) under his reign, said Green Party Overseas Development Assistance Spokesperson Dr Kennedy Graham.

Yesterday at his post-cabinet press conference Prime Minister John Key told journalists that subsidising Air New Zealand flights between Tonga, Samoa and the United States may very well come out of NZAID’s budget under a National Government.

Justice Policy - Making Good

Definitions

Introduction

Vision

Key Principles

Specific Policy Points

1. Restorative justice
2. Righting wrongs and compensating victims of crime
3. Sentencing alternatives
4. Access to courts and the justice system
5. Maori justice
6. Youth justice
7. Prison management
8. Women in prison
9. Independent Prison Inspectorate
10. Independent Judicial Appointment Commission
11. Domestic/family violence
12. Gun control
13. Supporting a just society
14. Freedom of information
15. Privacy and surveillance issues
16. Police issues
17. International justice