20 January 2022
Hon Kris Faafoi, Minister of Justice
Hon Aupito William Sio, Minister for Courts
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COVID-19 Protection Framework implementation update
Date
26 November 2021
File reference
Action sought
Timeframe
Note the Ministry’s progress in designing and implementing the
30 November 2021
transition to the COVID-19 Protection Framework.
Contacts for telephone discussion (if required)
Telephone
First
Name
Position
(work)
(a/h)
contact
Andrew Kibblewhite
Secretary for Justice
(04) 466 4399
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Tim Hampton
Deputy Secretary Sector
(04) 913 2379
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SLT Sponsor for CPF
Mike Knowles
CPF Programme
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Manager
Minister’s office to complete
Noted
Approved
Overtaken by events
Referred to:
Seen
Withdrawn
Not seen by Minister
Minister’s office’s comments
In Confidence
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Purpose
1.
To update you on the Ministry’s progress in designing and implementing the transition to
the COVID-19 Protection Framework.
The COVID-19 Protection Framework implementation programme
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2.
The Ministry is managing the project under two broad workstreams:
2.1.
Courts and tribunals – in partnership with the judiciary
2.2.
Non-court settings
3.
These are supported by three enabling workstreams:
3.1.
Vaccination policy for Ministry of Justice employees
3.2.
Contractor policy
3.3.
Testing.
Courts and tribunals workstream
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4.
The purpose of this workstream is to ensure that all courts and tribunals can continue
operate while maintaining access to justice, conforming with judicial protocols, and in a way
that keeps everyone who accesses any premises for which the Ministry is responsible
healthy and safe and allows the Ministry to meet its responsibilities as a PCBU (Person
Conducting a Business or Undertaking – as per the Health and Safety at Work Act).
5.
The Ministry is working with the judiciary to confirm judicial protocols and determine what
can be implemented by early December, and what may be implemented through into early
2022. These protocols, along with legal advice, will inform access and entry requirements to
courts and tribunals. Many of our current protective measures such as thermal imaging, use
of face masks, scheduling and restricting access to key participants that were put in place
under Alert Levels will continue. We will expand on this where required to ensure safety and
access to justice.
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6.
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7.
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8.
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Non-court workstream
9.
The non-court workforce covers people in a range of roles across New Zealand and in a
variety of workplace settings. These roles have a range of exposures to different people
and risk. As such, the non-court workstream has been broken down into three categories:
9.1.
Public Defence Service
9.2.
bailiffs (when operating outside courts)
9.3.
corporate (including National Office, call centres etc).
10.
The overriding objective of this work is to ensure that the Ministry of Justice can operate as
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safely as it can in order to continue to undertake its functions which requires:
10.1. that access to Ministry services continues at any traffic light setting
10.2. that staff know how they should act and what they should do at any traffic light
setting
10.3. that the Ministry can meet its obligations as a PCBU.
11.
Our current thinking is that, at least initially from 3 December, Amber settings will align
closely with the current Alert Level 2 settings and Red settings will align closely with the
current Alert Level 3 settings. We are working through the details and communications of
that, as well as thinking how these will evolve over time, especially as the COVID-19
vaccination status of our employees becomes clearer (see below).
Vaccination policy for Ministry of Justice employees
12.
The Ministry is currently consulting our employees on a draft COVID-19 vaccination policy,
which proposes mandating vaccination for all Ministry of Justice employees. The draft
policy was informed by an internal risk assessment process. The draft policy proposes that
those staff who remain unvaccinated would be able to undergo an individual risk
assessment to identify whether there are any other practical measures that could be taken
to sufficiently reduce the COVID-19-related risks. A communication plan and a plan for
addressing vaccination hesitancy for employees have been developed and are being
implemented. The consultation paper included this draft timeline:
29 November Register opens for staff to record their vaccine status voluntarily
3 December
Consultation closes
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10 December Announce final policy and requirement to record vaccination status
17 December Final date for recording vaccination status
1 February
Policy comes into effect
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Contractor workstream
13.
This workstream, which is just getting underway, will consider the management of
contractors visiting our sites.
Testing workstream
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14.
Future reporting
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15.
We will report to you on progress across the entire programme on a weekly basis.
16.
Separate briefings will be provided on more detailed issues as required or when your
approval is sought.
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Document Outline
