Crown Law

Introduction

The Crown Law Office provides legal advice and representation services to the Government in matters affecting the Executive Government, particularly in the areas of criminal, public and administrative law. The services provided relate to such matters as judicial review of Government actions, constitutional questions including Treaty of Waitangi issues, the enforcement of criminal law, human rights challenges to government policies and procedures, and protection of the revenue.

Crown Law has two primary aims in providing these services:

• to ensure that the operations and responsibilities of the Government are conducted lawfully, and
• to ensure that the Government is not prevented, through legal process, from lawfully implementing its chosen policies and discharging its governmental responsibilities.

Crown Law also administers the prosecution process in the criminal justice system, in particular, trials on indictment before juries.

Functions

The Crown Law Office is responsible for supporting the two Law Officers of the Crown: the Attorney-General and the Solicitor-General. This support is provided through:

• the provision of legal advice and legal representation services to Ministers of the Crown, Government departments, and agencies forming part of the government;
• assisting the Attorney-General and Solicitor-General in the performance of their statutory and other functions as Law Officers of the Crown;
• assisting the Solicitor-General with the conduct of criminal appeals;
• assisting the Solicitor-General in the supervision, direction and performance of regional Crown Solicitors in their prosecution functions, including administration of the Crown Solicitor's Regulations 1994; and
• providing advice on the establishment and development of legal service provision within Government departments and agencies.

Crown Law has no specific responsibility for policy formation or for the development of legislation nor does it provide advisory services to the public. However, when requested, Crown Law provides legal input to Government and departments on policy issues, operational changes or developments and proposed changes to legislation, particularly in respect of Criminal and Human Rights related issues.

The Disabilities Plan supports the Statement of Intent through ensuring policies, processes and technologies support the targeting of specific desired skills and behaviours but do not adversely impact on suitably qualified disabled people being able to apply for, be successful in finding and retaining employment with Crown Law.

Accessible government

All government agencies are asked to prioritise actions to increase their accessibility to disabled people. This is about getting the basics right, so that disabled people can access government on the same basis as other people.

These actions support realisation of the New Zealand Disability Strategy’s objective 6: foster an aware and responsive public service.

Four critical areas where disabled people interact with government agencies are:

• information – such as brochures, letters, publications, websites
• buildings – such as service centres, corporate offices
• services – such as face to face at a service centre, call centres, information electronically or hard copy
• as an employer – such as job application procedures, job descriptions, accommodations in workplaces, intranets.

Accessible information

Outcome: Disabled people can access publicly available government information on the same basis as non-disabled people. Disabled people know about, access and use government information and services.

Please describe against the suggested action outputs what your agency planned to do in the year ending June 2007, what your actual achievements were, and what you plan to work on for the year ending June 2008. Grey highlighted action outputs are new this year.

1. Online information (internet and intranets)

2. Hard copy information

3. Audio/visual resources

4. Other information

Accessible buildings

Outcome: Disabled people can visit, work, and move about independently in all government buildings and carry on ordinary activities there, on the same basis as others.

Please describe against the suggested action outputs what your agency planned to do in the year ending June 2007, what your actual achievements were, and what you plan to work on for the year ending June 2008. Grey highlighted action outputs are new this year.

1. Structural elements

2. Contact with the public

3. Workplace management

Accessible services

Outcome: Disabled people can access government services on the same basis as non-disabled people.

Please describe against the suggested action outputs what your agency planned to do in the year ending June 2007, what your actual achievements were, and what you plan to work on for the year ending June 2008. Grey highlighted action outputs are new this year.

1. Policy and practice

Being a good employer

Outcome: Government agencies provide equal opportunities in employment for disabled people to be recruited, retained, and promoted on the same basis as non-disabled people.

Please describe against the suggested action outputs what your agency planned to do in the year ending June 2007, what your actual achievements were, and what you plan to work on for the year ending June 2008. Grey highlighted action outputs are new this year.

1. Employment practice

2. Supports for disabled staff