Torpedo7 fined $80,000 for selling bikes with no front brakes

Sports goods retailer Torpedo7 Ltd (trading as 1-day.co.nz) has been fined $80,000 on two charges under the Fair Trading Act 1986, relating to its supply of bicycles without front brakes and some required information. The Commerce Commission says pedal bicycles are covered by a mandatory product safety standard enforced by the…

New Zealand ranked top for ease of doing business, again

New Zealand has topped the World Bank’s annual study for ease of doing business for the fourth consecutive year, since it took over from Singapore in 2016. Doing Business 2020 is the 17th annual study in a series investigating the impact of regulations on national economies by the World Bank. The study…

Transport and Infrastructure Committee recommends the Maritime Transport bill

The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported on the Maritime Transport (Offshore Installations) Amendment Bill and recommends that it be passed with amendments. The bill amends the Maritime Transport Act 1994 and seeks to clarify and strengthen the requirements on owners of offshore oil and gas installations to hold insurance or…

‘Slight embarrassment’ of 3rd parties not enough to withhold video

An intervention by the Office of the Privacy Commission resulted in a family gaining access to CCTV recording from a restaurant that may have shown an altercation. The Office says the three customers wanted to use the footage in possible legal action after saying they were harassed by a restaurant employee.…

International Crimes and Criminal Court Bill introduced

The International Crimes and International Criminal Court Amendment Bill was introduced on 21 November 2019. The bill amends the International Crimes and International Criminal Court Act 2000 to incorporate a series of amendments made to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court concerning war crimes (the war crimes amendments). Minister…

Māori Affairs Committee recommends Rua Kēnana Pardon Bill

The Māori Affairs Committee has reported on the Te Pire kia Unuhia te Hara kai Runga i a Rua Kēnana / Rua Kēnana Pardon Bill and recommends that it be passed without amendment. The Committee considered 60 submissions and heard oral evidence from six submitters. The submitters were overwhelmingly in support…

Steroid investigation helps the clean-up of NZ sport

Drug Free Sport New Zealand says its educational programme will be further developed following a crackdown on the use of steroids. The body’s annual report notes that there has been a dramatic increase over the past few years in the number of anti-doping rule violations committed in New Zealand compared to…

Takeovers Panel provides limited partnerships guidance

The Takeovers Panel has released an article, Limited Partnerships and Control of Code Company Voting Rights,  which gives its general views about who controls the voting rights in a Code company that are held by a limited partnership. It notes that limited partnerships are are increasingly common in New Zealand, including as investment…

Drop in complaints and decisions upheld by broadcasting watchdog

The Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) upheld complaints in just one tenth of cases during the 2018-19 year. The Authority says in its annual report the number of decisions upholding complaints fell from 14% to 10%. It says it responded to 131 complaints about broadcast content, issued 90 decisions and dealt with 867…

Report looks at issues facing CALD parties in courts

Communication is the main problem impacting on the ability of culturally, ethnically and linguistically diverse (CALD) parties receiving equal access to justice in New Zealand's courts, a major new report says. The report, Culturally, Ethnically and Linquistically Diverse Parties in the Courts: A Chinese Case Study, has been prepared by the…