Justice Centre | 19 Aitken Street
DX SX10088 | Wel ington
T 04 918 8800 |
F 04 918 8820
[email address] | www.justice.govt.nz
30 May 2022
Angela
[FYI request #19378 email]
Our ref: OIA 96033
Tēnā koe Angela
Official Information Act request: Registrars operating and Births Deaths and Marriages at
Papakura District Court
Thank you for your email of 17 May 2022 requesting, under the Of icial Information Act 1982
(the Act), information related to registrars operating at Papakura District Court. I have outlined
each part of your request, and my response, below.
1. Can you please collate al the information that is available on the Registrars who were
operating at the Papakura District Court in the years 1965-1972, including their ages, their
salary, and their educational background?
Regarding the first part of your request, the Ministry of Justice (the Ministry) does not hold this
information as all personnel files are destroyed after seven years, as required under the Public
Records Act 2005. As such, the Ministry must refuse this portion of your request under
section 18(g)(i) of the Act, because the information requested is not held by the Ministry and we
have no grounds for believing it is held by another agency or Minister.
2. Can you please supply al the information that is available, on the creation of the acts of
registering births and deaths for the district of Papakura, how they were recorded,
collected and conveyed the information collected, the standard procedure as it related to
the Papakura District alone, who was responsible for viewing and having access to that
information, where was that information was stored, who specifically gained access to the
information and for what purpose...ie any government department, or international
organisation, corporation sole, natural person or person from the years between 1966-
1969 excluding adoptions?
3. Please include any notes, files, letters, correspondence, progression of legislation,
changes to legislation and instructions that have been archived from the Papakura District
Court and the Registrars responsible for recording Births, Deaths and Marriages for the
Papakura district for the years 1966-1969.
The Ministry has conducted an initial search through archived information to attempt to respond
to parts two and three of your request. Unfortunately, nothing within these specified dates or the
location of Papakura was found.
The information that was identified would require substantial time and effort to assess and identify
anything related to Papakura, and within the specified time period, if it even exists. Even with a
timeframe extension, the Ministry considers the above tasks would have a significant and
unreasonable impact on the agency’s ability to carry out its other operations.
For these reasons, the Ministry must refuse these parts of your request under section 18(f) of the
Act, that the information requested cannot be made available without substantial collation or
research.
4. How many times have the NZ government been pursued through the NZ Courts for
making false statements about living people?
5. Please supply any details on the court cases bought about by any New Zealand individual
in the basis of false recording of birth information please. Al notes and case files please.
I am refusing parts four and five of your request because the information you have requested
relates to court records. Access to the court record is governed by legislation and there are
specific rules around how this information can be released.
Generally speaking, the person seeking information from the court record wil need to contact, in
writing, the Registrar of the court at which the case was heard. You wil need to identify the
particular records you wish to access and give reasons for your application. Court contact details
can be found on the Ministry’s website at: www.justice.govt.nz/services/finding-your-local-court.
6. Are the staff at the Ministry of Justice sworn to uphold the Crimes Act 1961?
7. Are the staff at the Ministry of Justice sworn to uphold the Crimes Act 1961 s240, s111?
I can advise that staff employed by the Ministry are not sworn to uphold the Crimes Act 1961, or
specifically the Crimes Act 1961 s240, s111.
8. Is it a FALSE Statement according to the Laws of New Zealand to deliberately violate the
rules of English Grammar when recording birth information of living babies?
I must advise you that your query does not fall within the scope of the Act. Rather, your question
is a request for legal advice on the meaning of a particular legislative provision. Your request for
information is accordingly refused on the basis that the Act does not apply.
You may find it useful to seek independent legal advice on the definition and interpretation of the
Act. I note that the Ministry is unable to provide legal advice to members of the public. However,
your local Community Law Centre may be able to assist you. You can find a Community Law
Centre near you at: www.community law.org.nz.
I appreciate this response is not what you had hoped for. However, hopefully I have sufficiently
explained why providing you with more information is not possible. If you remain unsatisfied with
my response to your request, you have the right to complain to the Ombudsman under
section 28(3) of the Act. The Ombudsman may be contacted by email at
[email address].
If you require further information, please contact Joe Locke, Media Manager on
021 636 416, or email: [email address].
Nāku noa, nā
Jenna Bottcher Hansen
Manager, Ministerial Relations and Services
