Headline: Cuts lead to cut-price justice system
A funding cut for crown solicitors, alongside cuts to legal aid, is setting New Zealand up for a cut-price justice system, Labour’s Justice spokesperson Andrew Little says.
This year’s Budget reduces funding for the Crown Law Office, with the new bulk funding arrangement expected to cut some crown solicitors’ payments by up to 50 per cent.
“The Government is desperate to cut spending wherever it can so it can crow about a surplus without thinking about the effect of those cuts, especially in an area like justice.
“Savage cuts for crown solicitors can only mean fewer prosecutions and presumably less serious charges being laid when more serious ones might better reflect the crime.
“When victims see offenders facing fewer or less serious charges, they will rightly feel a sense of injustice.
“Legal aid is also being cut. The result of that will be quick and dirty processing of charges even if the defendant might have a reasonable defence.
“All of this adds up to cut-price justice and will do no justice to victims or offenders. In some cases it will mean no justice at all.
“One of the hallmarks of a civilized society is adherence to the rule of law which means an effective justice system for both victims of crime and defendants.
“These cuts put that at risk.”
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