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Communications and Ministerial Services | Corporate Services
Ministry of Justice

Justice Centre I Aitken Street

DX Box SX 10088 I Wellington

[2]www.justice.govt.nz

 

 

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Thank you for contacting the Ministry of Justice (the Ministry).

 

We acknowledge receipt of your request under the Official Information Act
1982 (the Act). 

 

This has been forwarded to the National Service Delivery unit to respond
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9(2)(a) (protect the privacy of natural persons) of the Act.

 

You can expect a response by 23/04/2026.

 

 

Ngā mihi

Ministerial Services

 

   

Communications and Ministerial Services |Corporate Services

Ministry of Justice | Tāhū o te Ture
DX Box SX 10088 | Wellington

[1]www.justice.govt.nz

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: nicegoodfaith <[FOI #34224 email]>
Sent: Tuesday, 24 March 2026 8:08 pm
To: [Ministry of Justice request email]
Subject: Official Information request - Supervision of Refugee Legal Aid
Case Quality: Data Request on Review-Time Checks for Evidence/Supporting
Documents, Verification with Asylum Applicants

 

Dear Ministry of Justice,

 

I request disclosure of the following information pursuant to the Official
Information Act 1982.

 

This request concerns only refugee and protection legal aid matters and
related lawyers, and is limited only to the RSU initial stage.

 

In this request, “active refugee/protection legal aid lawyer” means a
legal aid provider / lawyer who, during the relevant reporting period,
handled at least 1 refugee and/or protection legal aid matter at the RSU
initial stage.

 

Time period requested:

Please provide the data for the complete financial years 2018/19, 2020/21,
2023/24, and 2024/25, by financial year (from 1 July to 30 June).

If you do not keep the information by financial year, please provide it
according to the statistical period you actually use, and state the
statistical basis used.

 

The information requested is as follows:

 

1. Number of active lawyers and caseload Please provide for each financial
year:

1.1 the number of active refugee/protection legal aid lawyers;

1.2 the median number of RSU initial-stage refugee/protection legal aid
matters handled by each active lawyer.

 

2. Data on checking whether lawyers genuinely reviewed applicant evidence
Please provide the following data for each financial year:

2.1 the number of cases in which you checked, spot-checked, audited, or
reviewed the hours claimed by asylum legal aid lawyers for reviewing
applicant evidence and supporting documents;

2.2 among the above cases, the number of cases in which, after checking,
it was determined that the hours claimed by the lawyer for reviewing
applicant evidence and supporting documents needed to be adjusted.

 

3. Data on whether there was verification with asylum applicants Please
provide the following data for each financial year:

3.1 the number of cases in which you verified, with legally aided asylum
applicants, the hours claimed by asylum legal aid lawyers;

3.2 among the above verifications, the number of cases in which it was
found that the hours claimed by the lawyer were inconsistent with the
applicant’s account.

 

4. Data relating to legal aid lawyers applying for increased evidence
translation/interpreting budget Please provide the following data for each
financial year:

4.1 the number of cases in which legal aid lawyers applied for an increase
in the budget for translation/interpreting of evidence and supporting
documents;

4.2 among the above applications, the number of cases that were approved;

4.3 the median translation/interpreting cost for evidence and supporting
documents across all RSU initial-stage asylum legal aid cases.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

nicegoodfaith

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

 

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[2][FOI #34224 email]

 

Is [3][Ministry of Justice request email] the wrong address for Official Information
requests to Ministry of Justice? If so, please contact us using this form:

[4]https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

 

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[5]https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

 

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

References

Visible links
1. http://www.justice.govt.nz/
2. mailto:[FOI #34224 email]
3. mailto:[Ministry of Justice request email]
4. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
5. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

hide quoted sections

Tēnā koe

Please find attached a response to your request

Ngā mihi
 
Communications and Ministerial Services | Corporate Services
Ministry of Justice | Tāhū o te Ture justice.govt.nz
 

-----Original Message-----
From: nicegoodfaith <[FOI #34224 email]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 24, 2026 8:08 PM
To: [Ministry of Justice request email]
Subject: Official Information request - Supervision of Refugee Legal Aid Case Quality: Data Request on Review-Time Checks for Evidence/Supporting Documents, Verification with Asylum Applicants

Dear Ministry of Justice,

I request disclosure of the following information pursuant to the Official Information Act 1982.

This request concerns only refugee and protection legal aid matters and related lawyers, and is limited only to the RSU initial stage.

In this request, “active refugee/protection legal aid lawyer” means a legal aid provider / lawyer who, during the relevant reporting period, handled at least 1 refugee and/or protection legal aid matter at the RSU initial stage.

Time period requested:
Please provide the data for the complete financial years 2018/19, 2020/21, 2023/24, and 2024/25, by financial year (from 1 July to 30 June).
If you do not keep the information by financial year, please provide it according to the statistical period you actually use, and state the statistical basis used.

The information requested is as follows:

1. Number of active lawyers and caseload Please provide for each financial year:
1.1 the number of active refugee/protection legal aid lawyers;
1.2 the median number of RSU initial-stage refugee/protection legal aid matters handled by each active lawyer.

2. Data on checking whether lawyers genuinely reviewed applicant evidence Please provide the following data for each financial year:
2.1 the number of cases in which you checked, spot-checked, audited, or reviewed the hours claimed by asylum legal aid lawyers for reviewing applicant evidence and supporting documents;
2.2 among the above cases, the number of cases in which, after checking, it was determined that the hours claimed by the lawyer for reviewing applicant evidence and supporting documents needed to be adjusted.

3. Data on whether there was verification with asylum applicants Please provide the following data for each financial year:
3.1 the number of cases in which you verified, with legally aided asylum applicants, the hours claimed by asylum legal aid lawyers;
3.2 among the above verifications, the number of cases in which it was found that the hours claimed by the lawyer were inconsistent with the applicant’s account.

4. Data relating to legal aid lawyers applying for increased evidence translation/interpreting budget Please provide the following data for each financial year:
4.1 the number of cases in which legal aid lawyers applied for an increase in the budget for translation/interpreting of evidence and supporting documents;
4.2 among the above applications, the number of cases that were approved;
4.3 the median translation/interpreting cost for evidence and supporting documents across all RSU initial-stage asylum legal aid cases.

Yours faithfully,

nicegoodfaith

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #34224 email]

Is [Ministry of Justice request email] the wrong address for Official Information requests to Ministry of Justice? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

hide quoted sections

Tçnâ koe

The Ministry apologies for the delay in responding to the remainder of your request. Please find your response attached.

Ngâ mihi 
Communications and Ministerial Services | Corporate Services
Ministry of Justice | Tâhû o te Ture justice.govt.nz
 

-----Original Message-----
From: [Ministry of Justice request email] <[Ministry of Justice request email]>
Sent: Thursday, April 23, 2026 5:06 PM
To: 'nicegoodfaith' <[FOI #34224 email]>
Subject: RE: Official Information request (131266)

Tçnâ koe

Please find attached a response to your request

Ngâ mihi
 
Communications and Ministerial Services | Corporate Services Ministry of Justice | Tâhû o te Ture justice.govt.nz
 

-----Original Message-----
From: nicegoodfaith <[FOI #34224 email]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 24, 2026 8:08 PM
To: [Ministry of Justice request email]
Subject: Official Information request - Supervision of Refugee Legal Aid Case Quality: Data Request on Review-Time Checks for Evidence/Supporting Documents, Verification with Asylum Applicants

Dear Ministry of Justice,

I request disclosure of the following information pursuant to the Official Information Act 1982.

This request concerns only refugee and protection legal aid matters and related lawyers, and is limited only to the RSU initial stage.

In this request, “active refugee/protection legal aid lawyer” means a legal aid provider / lawyer who, during the relevant reporting period, handled at least 1 refugee and/or protection legal aid matter at the RSU initial stage.

Time period requested:
Please provide the data for the complete financial years 2018/19, 2020/21, 2023/24, and 2024/25, by financial year (from 1 July to 30 June).
If you do not keep the information by financial year, please provide it according to the statistical period you actually use, and state the statistical basis used.

The information requested is as follows:

1. Number of active lawyers and caseload Please provide for each financial year:
1.1 the number of active refugee/protection legal aid lawyers;
1.2 the median number of RSU initial-stage refugee/protection legal aid matters handled by each active lawyer.

2. Data on checking whether lawyers genuinely reviewed applicant evidence Please provide the following data for each financial year:
2.1 the number of cases in which you checked, spot-checked, audited, or reviewed the hours claimed by asylum legal aid lawyers for reviewing applicant evidence and supporting documents;
2.2 among the above cases, the number of cases in which, after checking, it was determined that the hours claimed by the lawyer for reviewing applicant evidence and supporting documents needed to be adjusted.

3. Data on whether there was verification with asylum applicants Please provide the following data for each financial year:
3.1 the number of cases in which you verified, with legally aided asylum applicants, the hours claimed by asylum legal aid lawyers;
3.2 among the above verifications, the number of cases in which it was found that the hours claimed by the lawyer were inconsistent with the applicant’s account.

4. Data relating to legal aid lawyers applying for increased evidence translation/interpreting budget Please provide the following data for each financial year:
4.1 the number of cases in which legal aid lawyers applied for an increase in the budget for translation/interpreting of evidence and supporting documents;
4.2 among the above applications, the number of cases that were approved;
4.3 the median translation/interpreting cost for evidence and supporting documents across all RSU initial-stage asylum legal aid cases.

Yours faithfully,

nicegoodfaith

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #34224 email]

Is [Ministry of Justice request email] the wrong address for Official Information requests to Ministry of Justice? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

hide quoted sections