Hon Simon Power
Minister of Justice
30 November 2010
Media Statement
Minister opens Papakura-Pukekohe Public Defence Service
Justice Minister Simon Power today officially opened the Papakura-Pukekohe Public Defence Service.
The PDS provides an in-house legal aid service, through the use of salaried staff rather than contracted lawyers.
“The opening of this PDS branch is significant because it marks the completion of the PDS rollout to the Auckland
region,” Mr Power said.
“The PDS has gone from strength to strength since it was trialled in 2004, and has benefits including encouraging
competition, offering a benchmark for the cost of legal representation, and providing training for junior lawyers.”
The PDS is expected to be rolled out to Wellington, Lower Hutt, and Porirua courts early next year, and to Hamilton and
Christchurch by the middle of the year
Mr Power said the PDS has an important role to play in the new legal aid system that the Government is developing
following Dame Margaret Bazley’s report last November.
ENDS