Supreme Court Still Flawed Says Peters

New Zealand First will continue opposing flawed legislation for the proposed Supreme Court and has appealed to the Greens and United Future to withhold support until there has been a public referendum on the issue.

Rt Hon Winston Peters said today that changes made by the justice and electoral select committee were simply cosmetic and that the central issue of an independent judiciary sitting in the highest court had been largely ignored.

“This new court, to be appointed by Margaret Wilson, who has never been in a legal practice her entire working life, will be the final step towards the judicial system of a banana republic.

“The Government is intent on avoiding the best legal minds in the world at the Privy Council and this should be of concern to all New Zealanders.

“If you look at the deliberate process of confusion generated over the foreshore and seabed issue by the Government, it is important that the courts be seen to be totally above politics and political manipulation.”

Mr Peters said the Greens in particular usually had high ideals over constitutional matters and they should not support the legislation until there had been a public referendum.

“This issue is too important to be left to the whim of a few politicians. It should be decided by the people.”

© Scoop Media