DRAFT PAGE FOR DISCUSSION
The New Zealand Bar Association and the Criminal Bar Association wish to collect data and comment from defence lawyers on the use of the directions to inform dialogue with the Institute of Judicial Studies, and because the appellate courts are likely to want to know when and how the directions are being used in trials.
We ask that each defence lawyer complete the directions questionnare for each sexual offending trial, win, lose or draw. The questionnare is anonomous, but asks that each lawyer provide their legal aid number, and a code or note which tells them which trial their entry relates to. Then if we wish to contact you about a particular case, we can ask Legal Aid to send you a request to talk to us about that case. If you don’t want to respond, we will not learn who you are or which case it was.
The questionnaire is a work in progress, and all feedback is welcomed. If you have a particular case in which you consider the directions given undermined the right to a fair trial, and would like to discuss this with an experienced appellate lawyer, please contact us.