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Law
Cannabis Use in ‘These’ United States
Nathan Smith nzinitiative.org.nz It is a pity Kiwis cannot build a mirror image “New Zealand v2” somewhere in the Pacific to test controversial policies like cannabis legalisation. Actually, that’s why the US is such a great political system. It was only last century that Americans began calling
We’re off to the Court of Appeal
Michael Dowling Chairman Council of Licenced Firearms Owners We got so close, and got the High Court to recognise, for the first time, that the historic common law human right for compensation when a Government takes property, is legally equivalent to the ‘modern’ human rights contained in the New Zealand
Legalising Marijuana in NZ Will Not Kill the Black Market or Gang Involvement
Say Nope to Dope saynopetodope.org.nz Another erroneous claim made by drug advocates is: “The law just creates a black market”. In areas where marijuana has been legalised, the evidence is overwhelming as to how misleading this claim is. Organised criminal syndicates and gangs adapt to changing political and
IPCA Finds Police Raids Unlawful
Michael Dowling Chairman Council of Licenced Firearms Owners fairandreasonable.co.nz You may recall emails from Nicole last year expressing concerns about a series of Police raids of the homes of licenced firearms owners following the Mosque shootings, apparently associated with social media postings. Earlier today, the Independent Police Conduct
Assisted Dying Referendum
Rhona Winnington Auckland University of Technology When New Zealanders go to the polls in September, they will also be asked to vote in a referendum on assisted dying. Parliament already passed the End of Life Choice Act in 2019, but the referendum will decide whether it comes into force. We
Court of Appeal Hearing Next Month
Jordan Williams Free Speech Coalition The power of public bodies to de-platform speakers deserves to be thoughtfully considered and we say it’s a matter of public concern. Unusually the permanent Court of Appeal panel will be hearing the appeal here in Auckland – it will sit in the old Court
Reforming Cannabis Laws Is a Complex Challenge, but New Zealand’s History of Drug Reform Holds Important Lessons
Marta Rychert Massey University Chris Wilkins Massey University In less than three months, New Zealanders will vote in the world’s first national referendum on a comprehensive proposal to legalise the recreational use of cannabis. Unlike cannabis ballots in several US states in which the public only voted on the
RMA Misrepresentations
Dr Muriel Newman nzcpr.com The Resource Management Act is one of New Zealand’s worst performing pieces of legislation. It has become a major barrier to progress by adding costs and delays to the local authority consenting process. It has also been identified as a significant contributor to the
Elder Abuse and End of Life Powers Are Incompatible
Once upon a time, I fervently supported euthanasia legislation. Then, a couple of things happened. First, we got to see it in practice. It turned out that the ‘slippery slope’ Cassandras were right: ‘safeguards’ were watered down with indecent haste. “Imminent terminal illness with intolerable suffering” became “terminal illness” and
An Act of Stupidity
Chris Penk The BFD is serialising National MP Chris Penk’s book Flattening the Country by publishing an extract every day. An Act of stupidity The passage of the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act will be remembered as one of the most shameful episodes in our Parliament’s history. Replacing
The Final Choice
This coming election we will not only be voting on which party we want to hold the balance of power, but we will also be taking part in a referendum on a very controversial and emotionally charged proposed new law. Those of us who are against it cheerfully refer to
NZ Is a “Fast Follower” of Cannabis Legislation
On September 19 New Zealanders will be voting in a referendum on whether or not to legalise cannabis. In the below podcast chief economist Dr Eric Crampton approaches the decision from an economic perspective. He says that even though there is not a lot of solid data available about how
Was Level 4 a Step Too Far?
Barry Brill nzcpr.com Barry Brill, OBE, JP, LL.M(Hons), M.ComLaw, is the Chairman of the New Zealand Climate Science Coalition. A former MP, Barry was a Minister of Energy, a Petrocorp director, and the Chairman of the Gas Council, Power NZ, ESANZ, and EMCO. On March 23
They Laid Down the Law
Six or eight thousand years ago, they laid down the law The B-52s, “Mesopotamia”. As the left tears down more and more of our Western heritage and, not coincidentally, descend further and further into barbarism, it’s more important than ever to remember how we acquired civilisation. Civilisation didn’t