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Archive
2020
February
DVFREE Workplace: 'First Responder' Domestic Violence Training
Report and recommendations from Māori-led Inquiry into Oranga Tamariki
Social Wellbeing Agency replaces Social Investment Agency with new approach
“Safe Relationships and Sexuality” for people with disabilities and their whanau
Public hearing into the State response to civil redress and civil litigation claims
Abortion law reform: Select Committee report, next steps
Vuvale Sautu: Fiji Family Violence Prevention Training Programme
Links between violent extremism and violence against women
Working with Victims & Offenders of Domestic Violence in Multiple Settings
Growing Pasifika Solutions 2020
ANROWS National Research Conference on Violence against Women and their Children
Weekly Media Roundup
Children's Day – Te rā o ngā Tamariki
Salvation Army State of the Nation report 2020
Sexuality Education Guide update with Associate Professor Katie Fitzpatrick
DVFREE Workplace: 'First Responder' Domestic Violence Training
Fofala Le Fala - NZPsS workshop
Responding effectively to victims of domestic violence
Family Court specialist reports: Current issues - NZPsS workshop
Working together in community-led ways to enable children to flourish
Challenges and Opportunites for addressing inequities of the NZ justice system
Ko e Fakatupuolamoui he tau Magafaoa: Niue Family Violence Prevention Training
Pacific Family Violence Prevention Training (What you need to know)
Debate on Changes to Improve Court Processes for Victims of Sexual Assault
September 15, 2016 at 11:21 AM
Debate on changes to improve court processes for victims of sexual assault
*From the New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse*
Parliament recently debated the Evidence Amendment Bill 2015, which proposes reforms to court processes for victims of sexual assault.
The Evidence Amendment Bill 2015 makes a number of small changes to the Evidence Act 2006, which were among those recommended by a Law Commission review in 2013. The Evidence Act defines what evidence is allowed in court, how evidence is given, and provides limits on questioning and guidance regarding evidence.
The debate involved discussion of two Supplementary Order Papers (SOP) proposed by Green Party Member Jan Logie and one SOP proposed by Justice Minister Amy Adams. One of Ms Logie's SOPs would have allowed victims of family and sexual violence to the same rights as child witnesses to use alternative methods of giving evidence, such as video recording, being unable to see the defendant, or from an appropriate place outside the courtroom. Another would have allowed judges to prevent intimidating questions. Neither amendment was agreed to.
The Minister's SOP 188 was agreed to. It extends the required Law Commission periodic review of the Act from one year to two years and allows a previous statement of a witness to be evidence rather than the witness only being able to refer to it to refresh his or her memory.
Labour Party Member Stuart Nash questioned why the Bill once enacted would not come into effect until July 2017, but this question was not answered in the debate.
The bill is now in its third reading.
The urgent need for reforms of the court process for sexual violence was highlighted in 2009 in a report from the former Taskforce for Action on Sexual Violence and research from Elisabeth McDonald and Yvette Tinsley.
The Government's Safer Sooner document says the Minister of Justice is considering more ways to improve the criminal court process, including the experience of family violence and sexual violence victims, http://www.justice.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Publications/safer-sooner-re...
