59
As a result of this work the Commission is considering its own position. It has to date
advocated for a Human Rights Select Committee. It has however, already
participated in human rights training of Select Committee Clerks at the request of
the Clerk of the House. As a result the Commission has seen firsthand the
seriousness with which the Parliamentary Officers are taking the issue. If human
rights can be mainstreamed in all Select Committees that, in the Commission’s view,
is likely to be a better result than a separate Human Rights Select Committee. The
challenge is to make mainstreaming a reality.
60
In June 2015 Parliamentarians launched a cross-party network to raise the profile of
human rights at Parliament. The network seeks to ensure that Parliament is better
informed about human rights and that they are at the centre of the decision-making
process. The Commission understands that this group has, however, only met once
since being established. Other cross Parliament groups have been formed in regard
to Women’s rights and the rights of GLBTI people.
61
The Commission urges the Committee to encourage New Zealand to continue to
mainstream human rights by:
a) making the requirement set out in section 7.60 of the Cabinet Manual more
explicit in requiring identification of implications in relation to international
human rights commitments and extend it to apply to all policy and legislation
(both primary and secondary);
b) taking steps to ensure that the requirements are strictly adhered to; and
c) developing
and
implementing
capacity-building
programmes
parliamentarians and civil servants across the public sector.
for
F.
Family Court Reforms
62
In March 2014 the Family Court reforms were introduced and included the
requirement that parties attend the free Parenting through Separation (PTS) course
and new family dispute resolution (FDR) service before they can apply to the family
court. However, FDR is not mandatory if there is affidavit evidence that one of the
parties, or a child of one of the parties, has been subjected to domestic violence by
one of the other parties to the dispute. There are anecdotal reports from the Bar
that the reforms are not working, particularly for those experiencing family violence.
Page 20 of 93
Human Rights Commission submission to the Human Rights Committee in relation to New Zealand’s 6th periodic review under the ICCPR