Problems just beginning for Supreme Court

The Chief Justice’s attack on the Government’s new Supreme Court as ‘under funded’ and ‘under resourced’ is a sign of more problems to come, says National’s Justice spokesman, Richard Worth.

“It is no surprise that just four months after the creation of the court, the operational problems have begun.

“The Government refused to listen to concerns or to properly consult with New Zealanders when establishing the court.

“And it is no surprise the court has done little work since its creation. The Government has given Supreme Court judges the ability to control their own workload, and to date the judges have shown no interest in taking on any new work.

” An appellant could get to the Privy Council as of right if the amount in issue was over $5,000, but for the Supreme Court leave is required. This means that the appellant has to apply for leave to appeal, and the Court itself decides whether it will grant leave. Mr Worth said the in-fighting and an inability to get work done is a sign of more problems to come.

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