Justice Centre | 19 Aitken Street
DX SX10088 | Wellington
T 04 918 8800 |
F 04 918 8820
[email address] | www.justice.govt.nz
19 December 2023
Erika Whittome
[FYI request #24856 email]
Our ref: OIA 108280
Tēnā koe Erika
Official Information Act request: COVID-19 prosecution costs
Thank you for your email of 24 November 2023 requesting under the Official Information Act
1982 (the Act), information regarding the cost to the Ministry of Justice (the Ministry) for
prosecution of fines. Specifically, you requested:
Would you please share the cost to the Ministry of Justice of the prosecutions of all
issued fines under the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Protection Framework)
Order 2021 which have gone to the Ministry of Justice. Kindly share the total current
cost of prosecutions, any appeals, hearings, submissions, appearances etc for this
particular order. Kindly share the total expenditure to the court in prosecuting these fines.
I would like the expenditure for 2021, 2022 and 2023 until the date when you answer
this OIA.
In response to your request, the Ministry provides administrative support to the courts and is
unable to determine the specific costs and expenditure for the prosecutions you have
requested. This is because information is not managed to this level of detail. I am therefore
refusing your request under section 18(g) of the Act as the information requested is not held
by the Ministry and I have no grounds for believing it is held by another agency or Minister.
The Ministry publishes an annual report where you will find the financial operating costs which
may be of interest to you. You can find this on the Ministry’s website at:
www.justice.govt.nz/about/about-us/corporate-publications/
Please note that this response, with your personal details removed, may be published on the
Ministry website at: justice.govt.nz/about/official-information-act-requests/oia-responses/.
If you are not satisfied with this response, you have the right to make a complaint to the
Ombudsman under section 28(3) of the Act. The Office of the Ombudsman may be contacted
by email to [email address] or by phone on 0800 802 602.
Nāku noa, nā
Jacquelyn Shannon
Group Manager, Courts and Tribunals, Regional Service Delivery
