Election 2017 - Party Policies - Justice, Law and Order
27th May 17, 9:24am
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Justice, Law and Order
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- ACT believes that protecting the safety and property of its citizens is the government’s most basic job – and the rights of victims should trump the rights of criminals.
- We need to ensure the worst offenders are put behind bars, and stop the offenders who leave prison from returning to criminal activity.
- That means giving prisoners incentives to complete educational programmes that will equip them with the basic qualifications to lead a productive, normal life.
- Non-government groups such as the Howard League have volunteers wanting to help prisoners learn to read – we just need to break down the administrative barriers.
- Too much police time goes into chasing minor traffic offences and petty drug use. Taxpayers fund police to actually solve burglaries and prevent violence – not to play nanny state.
- Read more here.
- A greater focus on mediation, restorative justice and community-based justice.
- Crime prevention and the rehabilitation of offenders is as important in sentencing as punishment of crime.
- Victims, offenders, families and communities are supported in taking an active and meaningful role in restorative justice.
- Read more here.
- Set a target of reducing the number of people in prison by 30% over fifteen years, and undertake our comprehensive plan to reach that target.
- Uphold the right of all New Zealanders to access justice by increasing the income threshold so access to legal aid is available to more people, funding the public defence service and community law centres, and comprehensively reviewing other access to justice issues.
- Review and replace National’s Family Court reforms to ensure a modern and accessible system that resolves disputes fairly and efficiently.
- Ask the Law Commission to complete a comprehensive review on access to justice issues, including any disproportionate impact these issues are having on Maori and people with disabilities.
- Establish an independent Criminal Cases Review Commission to review wrongful convictions.
- Read more here.
- Dismantle institutional racism within the justice system as a matter of urgent priority.
- Provide racial bias training for all those who work in the criminal justice system.
- Initiate a review of the entire justice system and align it to tikanga Māori with a focus on removing institutional racism.
- Implement, prioritise and expand restorative justice processes through a kaupapa Māori lens.
- Reduce the rate of Māori overimprisonment by 30% by 2027.
- Read more here.
Not yet available on their website.
- Explore and introduce greater use of alternative disputes resolution processes, especially mediation and arbitration as a right.
- Provide litigants with better means of avoiding delays such as the use of default procedures; and with improved means to review the fees charged by lawyers and other providers.
- Better co-ordinate, and fund the delivery of state-funded and privately funded victim support services.
- Instruct the Law Commission together with the Human Rights Commission to urgently review the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act to broaden its cover.
- Introduce a greater range of non-custodial sentences such as the confiscation of property, larger and long term reparation payments and fines.
- Read more here.
- Ensuring adequate support for our Police force to protect our communities.
- Elevating the rights and support for victims of crime to the forefront of our criminal justice system.
- Prioritise early intervention and prevention of crime.
- Reducing recidivism through using our criminal justice system to rehabilitation and tailored sentencing.
- Read more here.
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