Peter Bassett: Effecting Treaty principles into immigration: When Footnotes Decide the Verdict

Modern activist legal writing has a sound of its own: the rustle of footnotes doing work they were never meant to do. Elizabeth Rabiyan’s essay claiming that New Zealand immigration law has “failed to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi” is a near-perfect specimen.

Peter Dunne: Strengthening New Zealand’s immigration laws

The government has just announced plans to strengthen New Zealand’s immigration laws to make it easier to deport residents convicted of serious criminal offences. Under current law, permanent residents of up to ten years standing who have been convicted of criminal offences can be deported after release from prison. However, the term of their deportation depends on the nature and seriousness of their offending. The government’s new plans significantly broaden the scope of the existing policy. It is planning to increase the time frame to residents of twenty years standing and also includes historic crimes, committed before the person came to New Zealand,