DX SX10088 | Wellington
T 04 918 8800 |
F 04 918 8820
[email address] | www.justice.govt.nz
28 April 2020
James Watson
[FYI request #12538 email]
Dear Mr Watson
Official Information Act 1982 request
Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) request of 26 March 2020 regarding the
Waitangi Tribunal. Specifically, you requested:
“(1) the average time-frame it has taken the Waitangi Tribunal from receiving a claim
relating to proposed legislation (i.e. relating to the Tribunal's jurisdiction under s 8 of the
Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975) to issuing a report in respect of such a claim; and
(2) the number of (and name of the) reports since 1990 in which the Waitangi Tribunal has
found that a statutory instrument was inconsistent with the principles of the Treaty of
Waitangi. “
The Ministry of Justice is responding and re-directing resources as needed, to assist with the
government’s response to COVID-19. This is impacting our ability to deliver some of our usual
functions within the normal timeframes. In the current climate it is not possible to provide you with
a definitive date by which we will be able to respond to your request. Please be assured that we will
keep you updated and will provide you with a new expected due date as soon as we are in a position
to do so. We are grateful for your patience and understanding in these unprecedented times.
The OIA requires that we advise you of our decision on your request no later than 20 working days
after the day we received your request. As mentioned above, it will not be possible to meet that
time limit. Therefore, we are writing to notify you of an extension of the time to make our decision,
to within 20 working days of the office re-opening.
Please be assured that we will provide you with a response earlier than the new due date if
circumstances permit. We are grateful for your patience and understanding in these unprecedented
times.
If you require any further information, please contact Jerram Watts, Team Leader Media and
External Relations (Acting), on 027 291 3518, or email
[email address].
If you are not satisfied about the decision to extend the time frame for response to your request,
you have the right to complain to the Ombudsman under section 28(3) of the OIA. You can contact
the Office of the Ombudsman by writing to PO Box 10152, Wellington 6143; calling 0800 802 602; or
emailing [email address].
Yours sincerely
Jacquelyn Shannon
Group Manager, Courts and Tribunals, Regional Service Delivery
Ref:
81266