Justice Centre | 19 Aitken Street
DX SX10088 | Wel ington
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F 04 918 8820
[email address] | www.justice.govt.nz
11 December 2025
John Luke
[FYI request #32990 email]
Our ref: OIA 128102
Tēnā koe John
Official Information Act request: Former visiting justice documents
I refer to your email of 25 November 2025 to Hon Nicole McKee, Minister for Courts,
requesting information under the Of icial Information Act 1982 (the Act), regarding the former
visiting Justice Andrew Lesā. Specifically, you requested:
https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360888011/no-checks-
no-referees-how-man-who-embellished-his-cv-became-visiting-justice__;!!Asq5-
8xVch3Reg!sPkM-
_9WUcpHL2FoO1NBPpAecFv2tOv2kvy_S4YbsohzUlEhW1OdJ9fmGw5kybyz99K0A
kZKCg8fgo-aJVGCqo23dJQ-JZyF3hdUhk3p9i0$
"Newly released Official Information Act documents show the Ministry of Justice
appointed Auckland man Fale Andrew Lesā as a Visiting Justice and Justice of the
Peace without conducting reference checks or verifying the credentials he submitted
with his application. Paula Penfold wades through the 142 pages of documents to
find out what went wrong."
The news article mentioned a 142-page set of documents. I would like to formally
request access to this OIA document that were released to the news agency. Thank
you.
On 25 November 2025, your request was transferred in full under section 14 of the Act by
the Of ice of Hon Nicole McKee to the Ministry of Justice (the Ministry), for response.
In response to your request, I am refusing the documents you have requested under section
18(d) of the Act as the information is publicly available on the Ministry’s website at:
OIA-
126961.pdf.
Please note that this response, with your personal details removed, may be published on the
Ministry website at:
Of icial Information Act responses | New Zealand Ministry of Justice.
If you are not satisfied with this response, you have the right to make a complaint to the
Ombudsman under section 28 of the Act. The Office of the Ombudsman may be contacted
by phone on: 0800 802 602, by email at: [email address], or via the
webform:
Make a complaint (for members of the public) | Ombudsman New Zealand.
Nāku noa, nā
Wayne Newall
Manager, Appointments and Specialist Functions
