Labour pledges sunset principle for legislation

Press, 28 May 1981, Page 4

Labour pledges sunset principle for legislation

Parliamentary reporter A Labour government would adopt the principle of. 1 “sunset” legislation so that all new T laws would have specific expiry dates and . none would remain in force wdthout periodic review, said 5 the Labour Party’s spokes-1 man on constitutional affairs, | Mr G. W. R. Palmer, last | evening. « Presenting labour’s policy g on law-making, he said that | law-making procedures in | New Zealand were not fit for 1 modern conditions and the S laws themselves should be t made more understandable | and more accessible. He said, “We should chop ‘ out all old, unwanted, and out-of-date laws, make the law’ easier to locate, and draft the law in language that people can understand.”

g"there are too many examples in our law of obscure language and over-elabora-tion in the illusory desire for certainty. There is repetition, inconsistency, and illogical structure in our acts of Parliament.” Mr Palmer said that the day was long past when a lay person in New Zealand could keep abreast of . changes in legislation. ’ “For one thing it would ?s cost too much. A full set of $ New Zealand annotated sta- s tutes costs $989.20. It is im- ? possible to buy a complete ’ set of New’ Zealand regula- i tions: they are out of print. T “Volumes of regulations as recent as 1977 cannot now be obtained new. The Government apparently takes the view’ that the citizens do not need to ascertain the content of the laws which govern them." f - Mr Palmer said that it •

a, whs common for statutes to “ come into effect before they ' were generally available to the public. In 1.980, Parliament had ’passed 168 public bills and seven local bills, 1 but on January 27, 1981, only 41 of these acts had been i available for public sale. | Someof the important | measures which had been | unobtainable had already | come into force, including | such controversial measures | as the Matrimonial Property |Amendment Act. the: | Trespass Act, the Accident g Compensation Amendment ; Act, and the Cinematograph I Films Amendment Act. A Labour government would appoint a law reform commission whose first priority would be to recommend how New’ Zealand’s law could be made more understandable and accessible to the public. . The principle of “sunset” legislation would apply to acts and regulations. This would keep laws up to date and would reduce the need to pass frequent amending acts. Old laws no longer needed would be repealed and no act passed in any one year would come into force until April 1 of the next year unless there were exceptional circumstances. Mr Palmer said, ‘'Every effort will be made to write laws in language people can understand. Drafting should be more concise. Principles, should be legislated, not details.” I Mr Palmer said that a' Labour government would: develop systematic digestsand indexes so that the law, would be easier to find. Steps would also be taken to codify; and reprint all regulations in i foree. i