P.M. blasts Justice Dept over delay

Press, 12 April 1988, Page 8

P.M. blasts Justice Dept over delay

PA Auckland The Prime Minister, Mr Lange, has blasted the Justice Department over the time taken to deal with his fine for speeding.

In a radio interview yesterday Mr Lange berated the department and dubbed its conduct disgraceful. i Mr Lange was fined $260 plus $25 court costs by the District Court at Otahuhu for exceeding the 50km/h speed limit in a restricted area. The matter came to light when the i receipt for $285 was posted to the wrong address. Mr Lange said, “It took a year from the time I got a ticket to give me a notice, four months thereafter ' to

bring it to hearing after I protested the delay. They should have treated it as a not guilty hearing — and then they send the thing to the wrong address. “As far as I am concerned It was an absolutely disgraceful piece of conduct on the part of the Justice Department.” • Mr Lange said that the fine showed New Zealand was a country where no-one was above the law. The Assistant Secretary for’ Justice (courts), Mr Garth Soper, said there was “obviously something amiss,” but he could not comment fully until he received a report from the court registrar.