ASIA-PACIFIC 
Australian and New Zealand treaty signed
Thursday, 24 July, 2008
New Zealand and Australia are expanding trans-Tasman legal cooperation through a treaty signed on Thursday.
New Zealand Associate Justice Minister Lianne Dalziel and Australian Attorney-General Robert Mclelland signed the Treaty on Trans-Tasman Court Proceedings and Regulatory Enforcement, on Thursday morning.
It expands the range of civil court judgments that can be enforced on both sides of the Tasman and simplifies the process.
The agreement aims to allow individuals and businesses in trans-Tasman civil legal cases to settle them more quickly and cheaply.
The signing came as Australian attorneys-general and New Zealand's Justice Minister met in the New Zealand province of Canterbury.
The Australasian standing committee of attorneys-general includes attorneys-general of the Commonwealth of Australia, its states and territories, and New Zealand Justice Minister Clayton Cosgrove who is chairing the meeting. Norfolk Island has observer status at SCAG.
Through the group attorneys-general are working to harmonise laws across different jurisdictions and simplify legal transactions across state and trans-Tasman boundaries.
Mr Cosgrove said dialogue had seen better alignment between Australian and New Zealand legal systems.
Source: AAP
