Selected NZ District Court decisions now free online

The District Court has begun to post selected decisions online . They will be selected from the criminal, civil, youth and family jurisdictions.
According to the NZ Law Society latest news:

"Criteria for publication in the criminal jurisdiction include sentencing notes and reserved decisions in judge-along trials in cases of more serious offending, or cases where there has been discussion of high-level principles.

In the civil jurisdiction the aim is to publish all reserved judgments and costs awards, injunction decisions, judgments discussion interpretation of the District Courts Rules, appeals from tribunals, and decisions related to professional bodies.

Selection criteria in the Family Court will differ depending on the legislation that proceedings are brought under. While criteria of public or legal interest will apply in the Youth Court, there will also be emphasis on points of law on which there is little or no previous authority.

All decisions resulting from proceedings brought under the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015 will be published automatically because this is a requirement of that legislation."

United Nations launches database of case law of Treaty Bodies

From the press release:

The UN Human Rights Office has launched a major public online database, http://juris.ohchr.org,   that contains all case law issued by the UN human rights expert committees, the Treaty Bodies.

“The database is designed to be a key reference tool for scholars, lawyers, civil society organisations, governments and civil servants, our UN partners and the general public,” said Ibrahim Salama, Director of the UN Human Rights Treaties Division. “Just as importantly, we hope it may help individuals who are preparing to submit complaints to the committees by giving them access to the views and decisions taken by the expert members on specific human rights issues.”

The database was developed using data from the Netherlands Institute of Human Rights (SIM) of Utrecht University School of Law. Since the mid-1990s, the SIM had developed a comprehensive record on the jurisprudence stemming from the decisions by four Treaty Bodies on complaints brought by individuals.  Over 20 years, academics compiled and indexed Treaty Bodies’ case law, making the SIM database the most authoritative online resource on this. Due to budget restrictions, the SIM stopped updating the database  from 1 January 2014 and took it offline on 1 January 2015. However, the SIM offered its data free of charge to the UN Human Rights Office.

“This allowed us to build our own database, with an expanded remit and search capability, and we aim to continue developing it. It is an important part of our efforts to make the work of the Treaty Bodies more visible and accessible, and we hope it will benefit a range of users all over the world,” said Mr. Salama.

There are 10 Treaty Bodies that review and monitor how States that have ratified a particular treaty are implementing the rights contained in it. Eight can also consider complaints by individuals who believe their rights have been violated and who have exhausted all the legal steps in their own country. 

The site http://juris.ohchr.org contains case law indexed by various categories, including State, date, subject and keywords, which can all be used as search criteria. Users can submit their comments on the functioning of the database as part of ongoing efforts to improve it.

* The Committees that can receive and consider individual complaints are:

• Human Rights Committee (CCPR)
• Committee against Torture (CAT)
• Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
• Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD)
• Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
• Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED)
• Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR)
• Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC)

The UN Human Rights Office has launched a major public online database, http://juris.ohchr.org,  http://juris.ohchr.org/ that contains all case law issued by the UN human rights expert committees, the Treaty Bodies.

“The database is designed to be a key reference tool for scholars, lawyers, civil society organisations, governments and civil servants, our UN partners and the general public,” said Ibrahim Salama, Director of the UN Human Rights Treaties Division. “Just as importantly, we hope it may help individuals who are preparing to submit complaints to the committees by giving them access to the views and decisions taken by the expert members on specific human rights issues.”

The database was developed using data from the Netherlands Institute of Human Rights (SIM) of Utrecht University School of Law. Since the mid-1990s, the SIM had developed a comprehensive record on the jurisprudence stemming from the decisions by four Treaty Bodies on complaints brought by individuals.  Over 20 years, academics compiled and indexed Treaty Bodies’ case law, making the SIM database the most authoritative online resource on this. Due to budget restrictions, the SIM stopped updating the database  from 1 January 2014 and took it offline on 1 January 2015. However, the SIM offered its data free of charge to the UN Human Rights Office.

“This allowed us to build our own database, with an expanded remit and search capability, and we aim to continue developing it. It is an important part of our efforts to make the work of the Treaty Bodies more visible and accessible, and we hope it will benefit a range of users all over the world,” said Mr. Salama.

There are 10 Treaty Bodies that review and monitor how States that have ratified a particular treaty are implementing the rights contained in it. Eight* can also consider complaints by individuals who believe their rights have been violated and who have exhausted all the legal steps in their own country. 

The site http://juris.ohchr.org contains case law indexed by various categories, including State, date, subject and keywords, which can all be used as search criteria. Users can submit their comments on the functioning of the database as part of ongoing efforts to improve it.

* The Committees that can receive and consider individual complaints are:

• Human Rights Committee (CCPR)
• Committee against Torture (CAT)
• Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
• Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD)
• Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
• Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED)
• Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR)
• Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC)

- See more at: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=15560&LangID=E#sthash.kNbW5m36.dpuf

The UN Human Rights Office has launched a major public online database, http://juris.ohchr.org,  http://juris.ohchr.org/ that contains all case law issued by the UN human rights expert committees, the Treaty Bodies.

“The database is designed to be a key reference tool for scholars, lawyers, civil society organisations, governments and civil servants, our UN partners and the general public,” said Ibrahim Salama, Director of the UN Human Rights Treaties Division. “Just as importantly, we hope it may help individuals who are preparing to submit complaints to the committees by giving them access to the views and decisions taken by the expert members on specific human rights issues.”

The database was developed using data from the Netherlands Institute of Human Rights (SIM) of Utrecht University School of Law. Since the mid-1990s, the SIM had developed a comprehensive record on the jurisprudence stemming from the decisions by four Treaty Bodies on complaints brought by individuals.  Over 20 years, academics compiled and indexed Treaty Bodies’ case law, making the SIM database the most authoritative online resource on this. Due to budget restrictions, the SIM stopped updating the database  from 1 January 2014 and took it offline on 1 January 2015. However, the SIM offered its data free of charge to the UN Human Rights Office.

“This allowed us to build our own database, with an expanded remit and search capability, and we aim to continue developing it. It is an important part of our efforts to make the work of the Treaty Bodies more visible and accessible, and we hope it will benefit a range of users all over the world,” said Mr. Salama.

There are 10 Treaty Bodies that review and monitor how States that have ratified a particular treaty are implementing the rights contained in it. Eight* can also consider complaints by individuals who believe their rights have been violated and who have exhausted all the legal steps in their own country. 

The site http://juris.ohchr.org contains case law indexed by various categories, including State, date, subject and keywords, which can all be used as search criteria. Users can submit their comments on the functioning of the database as part of ongoing efforts to improve it.

* The Committees that can receive and consider individual complaints are:

• Human Rights Committee (CCPR)
• Committee against Torture (CAT)
• Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
• Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD)
• Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
• Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED)
• Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR)
• Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC)

- See more at: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=15560&LangID=E#sthash.kNbW5m36.dpuf

The UN Human Rights Office has launched a major public online database, http://juris.ohchr.org,  http://juris.ohchr.org/ that contains all case law issued by the UN human rights expert committees, the Treaty Bodies.

“The database is designed to be a key reference tool for scholars, lawyers, civil society organisations, governments and civil servants, our UN partners and the general public,” said Ibrahim Salama, Director of the UN Human Rights Treaties Division. “Just as importantly, we hope it may help individuals who are preparing to submit complaints to the committees by giving them access to the views and decisions taken by the expert members on specific human rights issues.”

The database was developed using data from the Netherlands Institute of Human Rights (SIM) of Utrecht University School of Law. Since the mid-1990s, the SIM had developed a comprehensive record on the jurisprudence stemming from the decisions by four Treaty Bodies on complaints brought by individuals.  Over 20 years, academics compiled and indexed Treaty Bodies’ case law, making the SIM database the most authoritative online resource on this. Due to budget restrictions, the SIM stopped updating the database  from 1 January 2014 and took it offline on 1 January 2015. However, the SIM offered its data free of charge to the UN Human Rights Office.

“This allowed us to build our own database, with an expanded remit and search capability, and we aim to continue developing it. It is an important part of our efforts to make the work of the Treaty Bodies more visible and accessible, and we hope it will benefit a range of users all over the world,” said Mr. Salama.

There are 10 Treaty Bodies that review and monitor how States that have ratified a particular treaty are implementing the rights contained in it. Eight* can also consider complaints by individuals who believe their rights have been violated and who have exhausted all the legal steps in their own country. 

The site http://juris.ohchr.org contains case law indexed by various categories, including State, date, subject and keywords, which can all be used as search criteria. Users can submit their comments on the functioning of the database as part of ongoing efforts to improve it.

* The Committees that can receive and consider individual complaints are:

• Human Rights Committee (CCPR)
• Committee against Torture (CAT)
• Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
• Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD)
• Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
• Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED)
• Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR)
• Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC)

- See more at: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=15560&LangID=E#sthash.kNbW5m36.dpuf

The UN Human Rights Office has launched a major public online database, http://juris.ohchr.org,  http://juris.ohchr.org/ that contains all case law issued by the UN human rights expert committees, the Treaty Bodies.

“The database is designed to be a key reference tool for scholars, lawyers, civil society organisations, governments and civil servants, our UN partners and the general public,” said Ibrahim Salama, Director of the UN Human Rights Treaties Division. “Just as importantly, we hope it may help individuals who are preparing to submit complaints to the committees by giving them access to the views and decisions taken by the expert members on specific human rights issues.”

The database was developed using data from the Netherlands Institute of Human Rights (SIM) of Utrecht University School of Law. Since the mid-1990s, the SIM had developed a comprehensive record on the jurisprudence stemming from the decisions by four Treaty Bodies on complaints brought by individuals.  Over 20 years, academics compiled and indexed Treaty Bodies’ case law, making the SIM database the most authoritative online resource on this. Due to budget restrictions, the SIM stopped updating the database  from 1 January 2014 and took it offline on 1 January 2015. However, the SIM offered its data free of charge to the UN Human Rights Office.

“This allowed us to build our own database, with an expanded remit and search capability, and we aim to continue developing it. It is an important part of our efforts to make the work of the Treaty Bodies more visible and accessible, and we hope it will benefit a range of users all over the world,” said Mr. Salama.

There are 10 Treaty Bodies that review and monitor how States that have ratified a particular treaty are implementing the rights contained in it. Eight* can also consider complaints by individuals who believe their rights have been violated and who have exhausted all the legal steps in their own country. 

The site http://juris.ohchr.org contains case law indexed by various categories, including State, date, subject and keywords, which can all be used as search criteria. Users can submit their comments on the functioning of the database as part of ongoing efforts to improve it.

* The Committees that can receive and consider individual complaints are:

• Human Rights Committee (CCPR)
• Committee against Torture (CAT)
• Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
• Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD)
• Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
• Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED)
• Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR)
• Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC)

- See more at: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=15560&LangID=E#sthash.kNbW5m36.dpuf

Just Ask!

There are many library-related services that the Law Library staff may be able to provide to you if you ask us. A case in point occurred last week in relation to the Labour Law assignment.

A student asked if she could read the Employment Relations Authority decision in a particular case. Problem was the case at the Employment Court and Court of Appeal level was suppressed name-wise and we did not know the names used in the ERA level. Nor did we know which ERA it was held in (ie the location) or the date (or even the year!). Despite this, we have managed to locate a copy of the decision and get it to the student.

Everybody is happy and it shows that sometimes, we can do the almost impossible. All it takes is you asking us if it is possible.

And for those wondering what decision we are talking about – it is the ERA decision in A Worker v A Farmer and is available electronically at http://www.library.otago.ac.nz/law/uji/pdf/2009/Other/ca_128_07.pdf

or in a paper copy in our Employment Relations Authority decisions housed on the 8^th floor at KG348.E38 2007 CHCH 111-160

BriefCase just got briefer

Brookers/Thomson Reuters have just excised the full-text PDFs (a.k.a. ViewCase) for lower courts (District Courts & tribunals) from Briefcase. Why? Because those judgments are now included in their all-new topical case law databases - ACC, Civil procedure, Family, Fisheries and a few more - which we can purchase (but haven't yet) at additional cost.
BriefCase still has the case summaries, just not the full text. We can probably get the judgment for you, so fill out a judgment request form, available at the Law Library desk.

Last in the Berryman saga available

The final decision in the long-running Berryman saga is now available fulltext from the University of Otago's Unreported Judgment Collection at http://www.library.otago.ac.nz/law/uji/pdf/2009/August/BERRYMAN.pdf