What is the cost of the March 2022 Parliament arrests of 253 people in the NZ Courts system?

Erika Whittome made this Official Information request to Ministry of Justice

Response to this request is long overdue. By law Ministry of Justice should have responded by now (details and exceptions). The requester can complain to the Ombudsman.

From: Erika Whittome

Dear Ministry of Justice,
In March 2022, there were 122 people arrested and charged with trespassing on Parliament’s front lawn in the first week of the protest that lasted nearly a month.

The number of total arrests from the protests is more than double that, with 253 people charged “in relation to protest activity” according to police in this NZ Herald article
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/parliament...

What is the cost to date for these prosecutions in the NZ Court System?
What is the budgeted cost for 2023 to continue with the remaining charges?

Yours faithfully,

Erika Whittome

Link to this

From: OIA@justice.govt.nz
Ministry of Justice

Thank you for contacting the Official Information Act request mailbox for
the Ministry of Justice. We will endeavour to acknowledge your
email within 2 working days

 

You can find more information about how we can help you at our [1]Official
Information Act Requests page.

Please note that by law, when you ask for official information we have to
respond to your request as soon as reasonably practicable and no later
than 20 working days after we receive it.

 

The Ministry of Justice may publish the response to your request on our
website, you can expect that if your OIA is to be published that this will
take place at least 10 working days after it has been sent you. Your name
and any other personal information will be withheld under Section 9(2)(a)
(protect the privacy of natural persons).

 

Please send any non-OIA related emails through to
o[2][email address] and any complaints through
to [3][email address]

Ngā mihi,

Ministerial Relations and Services

Governance and Assurance

DDI: +64 4 918 8800

Justice Centre I Aitken Street

DX Box SX 10088 I Wellington

[4]www.justice.govt.nz

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Link to this

From: OIA@justice.govt.nz
Ministry of Justice

Kia ora Erika,

Thank you for your Official Information Act request.

The Ministry of Justice has partially transferred your request to the New Zealand Police under s14 of the Official Information Act.

You will hear from Both Police and Justice regarding your request.

This has been forwarded onto the relevant business unit to respond to.

The Ministry of Justice may publish the response to your request on our website, you can expect that if your OIA is to be published that this will take place at least 10 working days after it has been sent you. Your name and any other personal information will be withheld under Section 9(2)(a) (protect the privacy of natural persons).

You can expect a response by 23/02/2023

Ngā mihi,

Ministerial Relations and Services
Governance and Assurance
Strategy, Governance and Assurance
04 918 8800 | Ministry of Justice | Tāhū o te Ture www.justice.govt.nz

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Link to this

From: Ministerial Services

Tēnā koe Erika

I acknowledge receipt of your Official Information Act 1982 request below, received by Police from the Ministry of Justice on 11 January 2023.

Police is responding to the following question:

"What is the cost to date for these prosecutions in the NZ Court System?"

Your reference number is IR-01-23-741.

You can expect a response to your request on or before 13 February 2023 unless an extension is needed.

Ngā mihi
Catherine
Ministerial Services
Police National Headquarters

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Link to this

From: Easton, Paul
Ministry of Justice


Attachment image001.jpg
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Attachment OIA 102001 Whittome transfer to requester.pdf
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Hi Erika,

 

Please find a letter regarding your Official Information Act request
attached.

 

 

Ngā mihi,

Paul Easton

Principal Media Advisor | Communications Services
Ministry of Justice | Tāhū o te Ture

027 276 9810

[1][email address] | [2]justice.govt.nz

 

 

 

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Link to this

From: Ministerial Services

Tēnā koe Erika

I acknowledge receipt of your Official Information Act 1982 request below, received by Police on 30 January 2023.

The question relating to this request that was transferred from the Ministry of Justice is as follows:

"What is the budgeted cost for 2023 to continue with the remaining charges?"

Your reference number is IR-01-23-2949.

You can expect a response to your request on or before 28 February 2023 unless an extension is needed.

Ngā mihi
Catherine
Ministerial Services
Police National Headquarters

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Link to this

From: Ministerial Services


Attachment image001.png
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Attachment Whittome Erika IR 01 23 741 Response.pdf
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Tēnā koe Erika                               

Please find attached the response to your Official Information Act
request, received by New Zealand Police on 11 January 2023.

 

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

 

Ngā mihi

Dylan

 

 

Dylan

Advisor | Ministerial Services | Police National Headquarters

 

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

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

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From: Erika Whittome

Dear Ministerial Services,

This was a request for the ministry of justice . The police have not answered this. Kindly direct the request to whom this was asked which is the ministry of justice.

Yours sincerely,

Erika Whittome

Link to this

From: Ministerial Services

Tēnā koe Erika

As referenced in the letter of response, Ministry of Justice partially transferred this section of your request to New Zealand Police, under s14 of the Official Information Act, as their Agency do not hold this information and believe New Zealand Police were more appropriate to respond.

Ministry of Justice emailed you at 9.39 on 11 January 2023 to advise this.

Police have provided you a response. You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision. Information about how to make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.

Kind regards, Michelle
Ministerial Services Advisor - Police National Headquarters

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Link to this

From: Erika Whittome

Dear Ministerial Services,

Where is the response from the ministry of justice?

Sorry what is a “partial transfer”? A transfer is whole or not at all.

Yours sincerely,

Erika Whittome

Link to this

From: Ministerial Services


Attachment EXTERNAL RE Official Information request What is the cost of the March 2022 Parliament arrests of 253 people in the NZ Courts system.txt
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As stated in the email to you from Ministry of Justice on 11 January 2023, the Ministry of Justice will provide the answer to the second part of your request, I suggest you email them at [Ministry of Justice request email] to enquire when you will receive this.

I attach a link to the State Services Commission (now Public Service Commission) which explains the requirements of Agencies to complete full or partial transfer of OIA requests under Section 14 of the OIA:

https://www.superscheme.govt.nz/assets/D...

Kind regards, Michelle
Ministerial Services Advisor - Police National Headquarters

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Link to this

From: Erika Whittome

Dear Ministerial Services,
This is an official information request to the ministry of Justice. I’m not sure why you are suggesting I email them when this OIA was directed to them already. Kindly answer the request for information in the required statutory timeframe.

Yours sincerely,

Erika Whittome

Link to this

From: Ministerial Services


Attachment OIA response IR 01 23 741.html
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Attachment image001.png
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Attachment Whittome Erika IR 01 23 741 Response.pdf
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Kia ora Erika

My apologies, I had not re-read the request file to see your request was later fully transferred to Police from Ministry of Justice, I was looking at the earlier partial transfer to Police from Ministry of Justice.

However the attached letter of response you were provided from Police on 17 February 2023 does answer both your questions - for clarity I have extracted the questions and answers from the letter:

Question 1: What is the cost to date for these prosecutions in the NZ Court System?

Answer 1: As Police does not separately record the costs associated with individual prosecutions, we are unable to provide you the total expenditure to date on prosecutions associated with the protest surrounding Parliament in February and March 2022. Your request is therefore refused under section 18(g) of the OIA, as the information is not held by Police, and we have no grounds for believing that the information is held by another department.

Question 2: What is the budgeted cost for 2023 to continue with the remaining charges?

Answer 2: We can also confirm that there is no specific budget for prosecuting any remaining charges in 2023. Your request is therefore refused under section 18(g) of the OIA, as the information is not held by Police, and we have no grounds for believing that the information is held by another department.

Kind regards, Michelle
Ministerial Services Advisor - Police National Headquarters

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Link to this

From: Erika Whittome

Dear Ministerial Services,

Kindly "transfer" this request to the Ministry of Justice please.

Yours sincerely,

Erika Whittome

Link to this

From: Erika Whittome

Dear Ministerial Services,

Kindly "transfer" this request to the Ministry of Justice please.

Yours sincerely,

Erika Whittome

Link to this

From: Erika Whittome

Dear Ministerial Services,
Kindly answer this OIA. I see you have answered a similar OIA regarding costs of prosecution at the Ministry of Justice https://fyi.org.nz/request/23768-costs-o...

Yours sincerely,

Erika Whittome

Link to this

From: Ministerial Services

Hi Erika

The request you provided a link to was made to the Serious Fraud Office and transferred to Crown Law - Crown Law provided the response.

Kind regards,
Ministerial Services - Police National Headquarters

Original Message-----
From: Erika Whittome <[FOI #21536 email]>
Sent: Thursday, 21 September 2023 11:36 AM
To: Ministerial Services <[email address]>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Re: Query OIA IR-01-23-741

CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.

Dear Ministerial Services,
Kindly answer this OIA. I see you have answered a similar OIA regarding costs of prosecution at the Ministry of Justice https://fyi.org.nz/request/23768-costs-o...

Yours sincerely,

Erika Whittome

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Link to this

From: Erika Whittome

Dear Ministerial Services,

Ok, but still no answer to my request, which is required under the Official Information Act, right? And I get to take this to the high court for no costs too

Yours sincerely,

Erika Whittome

Link to this

From: Ministerial Services


Attachment OIA response IR 01 23 741.html
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Attachment image001.png
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Attachment Whittome Erika IR 01 23 741 Response.pdf
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If you are enquiring about OIA IR-01-23-741 referenced in the subject line, you were emailed this at 3.47pm 17 February 2023 - another copy is attached.

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Things to do with this request

Anyone:
Ministry of Justice only: