Collins to visit Australia for justice meetings

Justice Minister Judith Collins will travel to Australia today to meet with her Australian counterparts in Melbourne and Brisbane.

In Melbourne, Ms Collins will visit Victoria Legal Aid’s offices and meet with The Honourable Diana Bryant AO, Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia.

“I am keen to understand how Victoria Legal Aid’s salaried lawyers operate in their Family Court to see if a similar advocacy service could work in New Zealand,” Ms Collins said.

Ms Collins will then travel to Brisbane, to attend the Standing Council on Law and Justice (SCLJ) meeting on 5 October.

The SCLJ provides a forum for Ministers to discuss and develop common issues, and simplify legal dealings across state and trans-Tasman boundaries. The Council is comprised of New Zealand's Minister of Justice and the Attorneys-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, its states and territories. Norfolk Island has observer status at SCLJ meetings.

“The Council is a great forum to discuss law and justice issues that are relevant on both sides of the Tasman. This year we’ll discuss issues including cyber bullying, family violence and child welfare, and privacy surrounding social media,” Ms Collins said.