Advice provided on the BDMRR changes

Terry Thomas made this Official Information request to New Zealand Police

The request was successful.

From: Terry Thomas

Dear New Zealand Police,

Hello I would like all advice provided to the Ministry of Internal Affairs or any other ministry, agency or minister on the impact proposed changes to the Births Deaths Marriages and Relationships Registrations Act regarding self identification on birth certificates, and their impact on police operations, particularly in relation to custody issues.

I'd like advice similarly provided regarding any impact on police intelligence files and criminal records, and your ability to carry out background checks on people who might amend their birth certificates under the proposed changes.

Yours faithfully,

Terry Thomas

Link to this

From: Ministerial Services
New Zealand Police

Tēnā koe Terry

I acknowledge receipt of your Official Information Act (OIA) request below, received by New Zealand Police on 30 June 2021.

Your request is being actioned pursuant to the OIA.
You can expect a response to your request on or before 28 July 2021.

Kind regards, Michelle
Ministerial Services PNHQ

show quoted sections

Link to this

From: Terry Thomas

Dear Ministerial Services,

Hello Michelle

Can I ease amend this to include any internal advice on the issue, ie advice provided within NZ Police but not necessarily released to other agencies etc.

Thanks

Yours sincerely,

Terry Thomas

Link to this

From: Ministerial Services
New Zealand Police

Hi Terry

I have passed this onto the workgroup assigned to respond to your request.

Thank you, Michelle

show quoted sections

Link to this

From: Ministerial Services
New Zealand Police

Kia ora Terry

Thank you for your request dated 30 June 2021, noting the request for additional information on 1 July 2021, seeking information under the Official Information Act 1982.

You asked for:
"…all advice provided to the Ministry of Internal Affairs or any other ministry, agency or minister on the impact proposed changes to the Births Deaths Marriages and Relationships Registrations Act regarding self identification on birth certificates, and their impact on police operations, particularly in relation to custody issues.

I'd like advice similarly provided regarding any impact on police intelligence files and criminal records, and your ability to carry out background checks on people who might amend their birth certificates under the proposed changes."

You amended your request on 1 July and asked:
"Can I ease amend this to include any internal advice on the issue, ie advice provided within NZ Police but not necessarily released to other agencies etc."

Police need some further information as to the scope of your request to be able to respond.

Could you please clarify the following:
• The timeframe of your request: i.e which dates are you meaning for the external and internal advice listed in your request to fall between?

• The scope of your request to include any internal advice on the issue. Can you clarify whether the issue referred to is:
o The impact proposed changes to the Births Deaths Marriages and Relationships Registrations Act regarding self identification on birth certificates, and their impact on police operations, particularly in relation to custody issues.
Or/and
o advice similarly provided regarding any impact on police intelligence files and criminal records, and your ability to carry out background checks on people who might amend their birth certificates under the proposed changes.

Kind regards,

Sophie
Ministerial Services PNHQ

show quoted sections

Link to this

From: Terry Thomas

Dear Ministerial Services,

Hi Sophie

I hope this clarifies and assists you.

What I am looking for is assessments made by NZ Police of how the self identification aspects of the bill might impact your operations, including:

how it might affect and/or change your procedures around treatment of prisoners and/or allocation of staff in terms of housing, personal searches, and prisoner transfer;

Also assessments of how it might affect your recording of offenders and/or searches of criminal records, and any flow on effects such as issuing of suspect descriptions and arrest reports to the public. I'm particularly interested in any assessments of whether a person changing their sex identifier will affect NZ Police's ability to see their complete record for things such as employment and safeguarding checks.

The law was proposed in 2020 so since 1 Jan 2020 should be reasonable. It would be helpful if you could indicate if there are many documents

Yours sincerely,

Terry Thomas

Link to this

From: Ministerial Services
New Zealand Police

Thank you Terry, that has helped immensely. Because we have clarified and refined the request with you, the due date has been reset to 9 August 2021. Work is underway on your request, and we will provide a response to you as soon as practicable.

Kind regards,

Sophie
Police National Headquarters Wellington

show quoted sections

Link to this

From: Ministerial Services
New Zealand Police

Tēnā koe Terry
 
I refer to your request of 12 July 2021, for information relating to the
impact of proposed changes to the Births Deaths Marriages and
Relationships Registrations Act regarding self identification on birth
certificates.

 

I have been asked to advise you that Police requires an extension of time
in which to respond to your request, pursuant to section 15A(1) of the
Official Information Act (OIA). Specifically, section 15A(1)(b),
consultations necessary to make a decision on the request are such that a
proper response to the request cannot reasonably be made within the
original time limit.

 

Police require until 16 August 2021 to provide a substantive response to
your request.

 

You have the right, under section 28(3) of the OIA, to make a complaint to
an Ombudsman about this extension.

 

If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request with us, including this
decision, please feel free to contact
[1][email address].
 
Ngā mihi
Fiona
Ministerial Services
PNHQ

 

===============================================================

WARNING

The information contained in this email message is intended for the
addressee only and may contain privileged information. It may also be
subject to the provisions of section 50 of the Policing Act 2008, which
creates an offence to have unlawful possession of Police property. If you
are not the intended recipient of this message or have received this
message in error, you must not peruse, use, distribute or copy this
message or any of its contents.

Also note, the views expressed in this message may not necessarily reflect
those of the New Zealand Police. If you have received this message in
error, please email or telephone the sender immediately

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]

Link to this

From: Ministerial Services
New Zealand Police

Tēnā koe Mr Thomas

 

I refer to your request, received by Police on 12 July 2021, for the
following information:

 

I would like all advice provided to the Ministry of Internal Affairs or
any other ministry, agency or minister on the impact proposed changes to
the Births Deaths Marriages and Relationships Registrations Act regarding
self identification on birth certificates, and their impact on police
operations, particularly in relation to custody issues.  I'd like advice
similarly provided regarding any impact on police intelligence files and
criminal records, and your ability to carry out background checks on
people who might amend their birth certificates under the proposed
changes.

 

Unfortunately we are unlikely to be able to meet the extended due date of
16 August 2021.

 

I can confirm that a response to your request has been drafted and is
currently progressing through our internal consultation process.

 

Although I am unable to confirm a release date at this stage, in normal
circumstances this process can take up to eight working days.

 

Please accept our apologies for the delay in providing you with a response
to your query. We are endeavouring to provide this to you as soon as
possible.
 
Ngā mihi
Fiona
Ministerial Services
PNHQ

 

===============================================================

WARNING

The information contained in this email message is intended for the
addressee only and may contain privileged information. It may also be
subject to the provisions of section 50 of the Policing Act 2008, which
creates an offence to have unlawful possession of Police property. If you
are not the intended recipient of this message or have received this
message in error, you must not peruse, use, distribute or copy this
message or any of its contents.

Also note, the views expressed in this message may not necessarily reflect
those of the New Zealand Police. If you have received this message in
error, please email or telephone the sender immediately

Link to this

From: Ministerial Services
New Zealand Police


Attachment part 1 EXT Redacted.pdf
314K Download View as HTML

Attachment part 3 Redacted.pdf
1.6M Download View as HTML

Attachment part 2 EXT Redacted.pdf
197K Download View as HTML

Attachment Thomas Terry IR 01 21 20458 final response.pdf
252K Download View as HTML


Tēnā koe Terry                                     

Please find attached the response to your Official Information Act
request, received by New Zealand Police on 12 July 2021.

Please accept our apologies for the delay in providing you with this
response.

Ngā mihi,

 

Penni

Penni Davenport |Ministerial Services Advisor

Strategy & Partnerships |PNHQ

 

 

===============================================================

WARNING

The information contained in this email message is intended for the
addressee only and may contain privileged information. It may also be
subject to the provisions of section 50 of the Policing Act 2008, which
creates an offence to have unlawful possession of Police property. If you
are not the intended recipient of this message or have received this
message in error, you must not peruse, use, distribute or copy this
message or any of its contents.

Also note, the views expressed in this message may not necessarily reflect
those of the New Zealand Police. If you have received this message in
error, please email or telephone the sender immediately

Link to this

Things to do with this request

Anyone:
New Zealand Police only: