Labour offers talks on stalled crime reforms

Justice Minister Simon Power. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Labour has approached the Government offering talks over the stalling of the mammoth Criminal Procedure (Reform and Modernisation) Bill, which is designed to speed up the wheels of justice.

Justice spokesman Charles Chauvel yesterday wrote to Justice Minister Simon Power saying he believed some parts of the reforms were useful.

But he objects to several things, with the Maori Party and Act, and that leaves the Government without the numbers to proceed with the bill.

One of Labour's major objections is to the change which alters the right to a jury trial from a crime for which the maximum penalty is three months, to one with a maximum penalty of three years' imprisonment.

That would require a change to the Bill of Rights Act.

The other aspects of the 670-page bill Mr Chauvel identifies as objectionable are:

* The requirement that the defence disclose to the prosecution issues in dispute before a trial starts.

* An apparent expansion of situations in which the court may proceed with a case in the absence of the defendant.

* Enhanced powers to award costs against the defence, and against defence lawyers in criminal matters.

Mr Chauvel said that even if Mr Power found a negotiated solution to the bill with the Act Party, he hoped he would consider talking to other parties too, especially about changes to the Bill of Rights Act.

He said the real objection over the jury threshhold issue was that it was a Bill of Rights issue and there had been no consultation across Parliament.

"The whole purpose of negotiating is to have a look at the evidence and work out what is reasonable rather than just have this diktat handed down by the minister."

A spokesman for Mr Power said the letter had been received but the minister was at the finance summit in Auckland yesterday and had not yet seen it.