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Aquaculture Reform Bill (Consistent) (Section 19(1)) [2004] NZBORARp 5 (20 August 2004)
Last Updated: 5 January 2019
Aquaculture Reform Bill
20 August 2004 Attorney-General LEGAL ADVICE
CONSISTENCY WITH THE NEW ZEALAND BILL OF RIGHTS ACT 1990:
AQUACULTURE REFORM BILL
- We
have considered whether the Aquaculture Reform Bill 2004 (PCO 4761/18) is
consistent with the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990
(the "Bill of Rights
Act"). This version of the Bill is to be considered by the Cabinet Legislation
Committee on 23 August 2004.
- The
Bill raises prima facie issues of inconsistency with section 19(1)
(freedom from discrimination) on the grounds of age, race and ethnic/national
origin, and
section 20 (rights of minorities). We have come to the conclusion
that to the extent the Bill limits these rights, those limitations
appear to be
justifiable in terms of section 5 of the Bill of Rights Act.
- We
have also considered potential issues in relation to the rights to justice
(sections 27(2), and 27(3)), but consider that the Bill
is consistent with
section 27.
- The
Bill therefore appears to be consistent with the Bill of Rights Act.
- We
have consulted with the Crown Law Office on this advice who agree with the
conclusions we have reached.
Overview of the Bill
- The
Bill will amend the Fisheries Acts 1983 and 1996 and the Resource Management Act
1991 to provide for the reform of the management
of aquaculture in New Zealand.
The purpose of the Bill as outlined in the explanatory note accompanying the
Bill is to enable the
sustainable growth of aquaculture and ensure the
cumulative environmental effects are properly managed while not undermining the
fisheries regime or Treaty of Waitangi settlements. The Bill repeals the Marine
Farming Act 1971.
- The
Bill:
- clarifies the
relationship between the Fisheries Acts and the Resource Management Act 1991
(the "RMA") to give regional councils responsibility
for managing the impact of
aquaculture development on the environment and the sustainability of fisheries
resources;
- simplifies the
permitting requirements for aquaculture;
- provides
regional councils with greater powers to manage the allocation of coastal
space;
- establishes a
mechanism whereby the Ministry of Fisheries will assess whether a proposed
aquaculture management area will have an
adverse effect on customary, commercial
or recreational fishing;
- provides the
Minister of Conservation with the power to direct regional councils in regard to
allocation of space in the coastal marine
area for purposes of government
policy;
- provides for
transitional matters relating to the repeal of the Marine Farming Act 1971,
parts of the Fisheries Act 1983 and those
parts of the Resource Management Act
1991 relating to the moratorium;
- is intended to
be a full and final settlement of all Māori claims (current and future) in
respect of commercial marine farming
arising from 21 September 1992 onwards, in
the coastal marine area; and
- provides the
Maori Land Court with jurisdiction to resolve disputes arising out of the
settlement.
Full and Final Settlement
- A
key intention of the Bill is to provide a full and final settlement of Maori
interests in commercial marine farming post 21 September
1992. The Bill seeks to
achieve this by providing Maori with 20% of the total of space allocated for
commercial marine farming from
21 September 1992 onwards. Any Māori
historical claims for marine farming space (i.e. claims relating to
pre-September 1992
acts and/or omissions of the Crown) are to be addressed
through the existing historical Treaty settlement process.
- As
noted above, the settlement relates only to Māori claims to commercial
marine farming. It is understood that other Māori
claims to interests in
marine farming that are non-commercial in nature may be considered under the
processes in the Foreshore and
Seabed Bill.
- There
are two processes required to provide Maori with 20% of marine farming space
since 21 September 1992. The first process relates
to marine farming space that
has been allocated post 21 September 1992 but before 1 January 2005. The second
process relates to marine
farming space that becomes available from 1 January
2005. This space is referred to as "new space" and is dealt with in Part 5 of
the Bill. New space in this part of the Bill is defined as available space in an
AMA that has become operative under the relative
regional coastal plan but does
not include space subject to an existing marine farm approval or an existing
application for a marine
farming approval 1
(other than applications frozen by the aquaculture moratorium under section
150B(2) of the RMA).
- Part
5, subpart 2 of the Bill provides a mechanism for the allocation to Māori
of marine farming space in recognition of marine
farming space that became
available for aquaculture activities between 22 September 1992 and 31 December
2004. Clause 73(2) requires
the Crown to use its best endeavours to distribute
20% of this space to Te Ohu Kai Moana Trustee Limited ("TOKMTL") 2 by 31 December 2014. The Crown may comply
with its obligations by directing regional councils to identify more than 20% of
new space,
but no more than 20% for allocation to Māori. The Crown may also
purchase coastal permits for established marine farms on a
willing-
buyer/willing-seller basis and transfer the assets to TOKMTL; or pay TOKMTL an
amount equivalent to the value of coastal
permits for marine farming space
(clause 73(3).
- Clause
21 of the Bill inserts a new Part 7A into the RMA. This Part of the Bill sets
out the procedures for allocating, authorising,
and managing new space that is
available for the development of aquaculture management areas ("AMA").
- As
outlined above, the new Part 6A of the RMA establishes a framework and process
for the allocation and management of marine farming
settlement assets for
Māori. Clause 63(4) of the Bill requires regional councils to identify 20%
of any new space identified
as available for applications for, or the allocation
of, authorisations allowing marine farming in those areas. The 20% of new space
identified under this provision is required to be representative of the new
space that is available for applications for, or the
allocation of,
authorisations (clause 63(5)).
- The
assets received from the settlement are to be allocated to individual iwi. While
the Bill does not define an iwi aquaculture organisation
in overtly racial or
ethnic terms, the Court of Appeal in Te Waka Hi Ika o Te Arawa v Treaty of
Waitangi Fisheries Commission was unanimous in finding that the word
“iwi” meant tribe or group of hapu and that a traditional tribe was
a group of
Māori people claiming descent from a common ancestor, sharing a
common culture and either, living in a specified geographical
area, or descended
from ancestors who lived in that area.
Relevant provisions of the Bill of Rights Act
- The
Bill gives rise to prima facie issues of inconsistency with section 19(1)
(on the grounds of race and ethnic origin), section 20, and potential issues in
relation
to sections 27(2) and 27(3) of the Bill of Rights Act.
- Section
19(1) provides:
Everyone has the right to freedom from discrimination on the
grounds of discrimination in the Human Rights Act 1993.
- Section
20 provides:
A person who belongs to an ethnic, religious, or linguistic
minority in New Zealand shall not be denied the right, in community with
other
members of that minority, to enjoy the culture, to profess and practise the
religion, or to use the language, of that minority.
- Section
27(2) of the Bill of Rights Act states:
Every person whose rights, obligations, or interests protected
or recognised by law have been affected by a determination of any tribunal
or
other public authority has the right to apply, in accordance with law, for
judicial review of that determination.
- Section
27(3) provides:
Every person has the right to bring civil proceedings against,
and to defend civil proceedings brought by, the Crown, and to have
those
proceedings heard, according to law, in the same way as civil proceedings
between individuals.
- We
consider that a limit on a right can be justified in terms of section 5 of the
Bill of Rights Act where it meets a significant
and important objective, and
where there is a rational and proportionate connection between the limitation on
the right and that
objective.4
Section 19 - The right to be free from discrimination
- The
Bill authorises allocations of commercial marine farming settlement assets to
iwi. There are two mechanisms for the allocation.
The first of these is through
regional councils.
- Once
regional councils have identified the applicable 20% of new space, the regional
council must allocate authorisations for this
space to TOKMTL. TOKMTL is
required to hold marine farming settlement assets until they can be allocated
and transferred directly
to iwi via an iwi aquaculture organisation. Iwi
aquaculture organisations are responsible for receiving and holding settlement
assets
allocated to that iwi. Iwi aquaculture organisations have responsibility
for establishing commercial entities that manage the settlement
assets.
- Clause
65 provides that the only person who may apply for a coastal permit to occupy
the new space for aquaculture activities is an
iwi aquaculture organisation. 5 Clauses 70 and 71 limit the ability of
TOKMTL to transfer authorisations and coastal permits respectively. TOKMTL may
only transfer
authorisations and permits to an iwi aquaculture organisation; or
a person nominated by the iwi organisation to receive the authorisation.
- Obligations
to allocate 20% of the space allocated between 21 September 1992 and 31 December
2004 are able to be fulfilled by the
Crown in various ways. Firstly, the Crown
may by Order in Council direct regional councils to identify up to 20% of new
space for
application for coastal permits or allocation of authorisations.
Secondly, the Crown may purchase established marine farms on a willing
buyer
willing seller basis and transfer the assets to the Māori Commercial Marine
Farming Settlement Trust ("MFS Trust"). Or
alternatively, the Crown may pay MFS
Trust an amount equivalent to the value of the space that became available
(73(3)).
- The
allocation of 20% of coastal marine farming areas for the settlement of
Māori interest in commercial marine farms and restrictions
on transfers has
the effect of preventing non-Māori from applying for, or being allocated
authorisations to an AMA. We acknowledge
that it might be argued that the
allocation of the space may not raise an issue of discrimination because there
is no other ethnic
or national
group in a comparable position to
Māori. This is because the allocation of space is based on a settlement of
existing and potential
Treaty claims; non-Māori therefore do not have an
interest in the settlement of such claims.
- However,
we consider that non-Māori do have an interest in the allocation of the new
space available for application for, or
allocation of, authorisations. This is
because the 20% of new space relates to an already limited area of available
space. Any allocation
of space restricts the availability of space available to
non-Māori to undertake aquaculture activities. By way of contrast,
Māori are also entitled to apply for and receive authorisations to the new
space that is available for non-Māori.
- We
therefore consider that there are instances where this distinction could result
in disadvantage to non-Māori when trying to
procure authorisations. We
consider that this raises a prima facie issue of discrimination and have
gone on to consider whether this is justified under section 5 of the Bill of
Rights.
Significant and important objective
- One
of the objectives of this Bill is to settle Māori commercial interests in
marine farming in line with the principles of,
and consistent with, the 1992
Fisheries Settlement. The Treaty of Waitangi (Fisheries Claims) Settlement Act
1992 does deal with
some, but not all aspects of aquaculture. To the extent that
aquaculture requires the harvesting of wild stock for the stocking of
aquaculture farms, in the
Crown's assessment, claims by Māori
in respect of these aspects of aquaculture would appear to be settled. What the
Fisheries
Settlement does not address is claims to space - the use of coastal
space for marine farming.
- Part
7A of the RMA therefore supplements the Māori Fisheries Bill and the
administration of fisheries assets received as part
of a negotiated Treaty of
Waitangi Fisheries Settlement. The allocation of 20% of the new space available
for marine farming addresses
the spatial aspects of Māori marine farming
interests that were not addressed in the 1992 Fisheries Settlement.
- We
understand that one of the key policy objectives underlying the allocation to
Māori in the Bill is the provision of certainty
and stability for the
aquaculture industry in New Zealand. In particular, the provisions in the Bill
that allocate Māori a proportion
of the total space available for
aquaculture, are intended to bring
certainty regarding the extent of
the Māori interest in marine farming, and to reduce the risk of legal
action and challenges
to the allocation process. At the same time, Māori
interests in marine farming are recognised and preserved.
- The
decision of the Waitangi Tribunal in WAI 953 recognises a Māori interest
in
marine farming. The interest in marine farming is part of the
bundle of Māori rights
in the coastal marine area that represent a taonga protected by the Treaty of
Waitangi. The Tribunal recognised the existence of a
Māori interest in
marine farming based on its evidentiary findings stating:
"...In our view there was some evidence that the claimants did traditionally
engage in the practice of aquaculture, if one accepts,
as clearly we do, the
broader common usage of the term. The practices associated with aquaculture
suggest a form of marine farming,
however rudimentary and less detailed it may
have been in terms of man-made infrastructure of the type that we now see for
contemporary
marine farms." 6
However, it did not state what the nature of that interest might be nor its
extent.
- This
has created uncertainty in the development of the marine farming industry in
general. Legal certainty is desirable to foster
the continued development of the
marine farming industry in New Zealand - an industry that could play a major
role in New Zealand's
economy. The Minister of Fisheries has advised Cabinet
that:
"Without resolution, this issue will create uncertainty for the
marine farming industry and local government decision-makers through
the ongoing
risk of legal challenge by Māori, and has the potential to seriously
undermine the progress of the aquaculture reforms.
Indeed, it is possible that
every Regional Coastal Plan 7 that seeks to
implement an Aquaculture Management Area 8
will be subject to legal challenge on the basis that the establishment of
Aquaculture Management Areas would be prejudicial to claimed
Māori rights
and interests
in coastal space for marine farming.”
- We
consider the provision of certainty and stability to the aquaculture
industry
through the settlement of Māori interests in marine
farming to be of significance and importance. The settlement of such interests
will ensure legal certainty for the marine farming sector in New Zealand,
allowing it to develop in the future.
Rational and proportionate response
- In
assessing the allocation, we have considered carefully the rationality and
proportionality of the 20% quantum. While there is no
precise science involved
in identifying an appropriate share in order to settle interests protected under
the Treaty of Waitangi
in this context, we consider that the allocation can be
said to be a rational and proportionate response, if it can be said to be
reasonable in all of the circumstances.
- We
understand from the Ministry of Fisheries, that the entitlement to 20% of the
new space made available under this Bill represents
what Māori would
otherwise have received had the government decided to manage the spatial
component of marine farming in the
Quota Management System (which was also
allocated on a 20% basis). It is a figure which in the context of the Fisheries
settlement
is not considered to be unreasonable given the fact that that was a
negotiated settlement and accordingly could be viewed as a reasonable
settlement
to both Māori and the Crown.
- The
1992 Māori Fisheries Deed of Settlement dealt with aquaculture to the
extent that aquaculture requires the harvesting of
wild stock for the stocking
of aquaculture farms. Māori claims in respect of these aspects of
aquaculture are settled under
the Treaty of Waitangi (Fisheries Claims)
Settlement Act 1992. However, the 1992 Settlement does not address claims to
space - the
use or occupation of coastal space for marine farming. This Bill
seeks to deal with this unresolved aspect of the 1992 Settlement.
- In
considering whether the 20% allocation can be said to be reasonable in the
context of commercial aquaculture, we understand from
the Ministry of Fisheries
that, to the extent that consultation has taken place on the allocation with
Māori and industry representatives,
there has been a general expression of
support, in principle, for the allocation.
- It
should also be noted that the allocation of marine farming space only provides
iwi with the authority to apply for resource consent to undertake marine
farming in a particular part of an approved Aquaculture Management Area. They
are not entitled
to undertake marine farming without meeting all general
Resource Management Act requirements. These include the resource consent
application process, resource consent expiry, environmental considerations, and
coastal occupation charges.
- In
view of the important and significant policy objective that the allocation
mechanism seeks to address, and given the rationality
and proportionality
factors outlined above, we consider that new Part 7A of the RMA , while prima
facie discriminatory, is justifiable in terms of section 5 of the Bill of
Rights Act.
Urban Māori
- The
Bill requires that regional councils allocate authorisations of new space
available exclusively to iwi through TOKMTL. As the
definition of an iwi
aquaculture organisation excludes representative iwi organisations such as the
Manukau Urban Māori Authority,
9 it
might be argued that such an arrangement discriminates against 'urban
Māori' because urban Māori who are not affiliated
to an iwi will be
unable to derive any direct benefit from the settlement.
- Such
an analysis is based on the idea of intra-ground discrimination. Intra-ground
discrimination involves different treatment between
individuals who come within
the same prohibited ground of discrimination under the Human Rights Act 1993.
While intra-ground discrimination
is not referred to in the Human Rights Act
1993, the Bill of Rights Act or New Zealand case law, it is unlikely that the
Courts would
take a narrow, technical approach to the interpretation of the
grounds of discrimination in the Human Rights Act. It is therefore
possible that
the Courts would accept that different treatment of groups within a ground could
amount to discrimination. We note
that the concept of intra-ground
discrimination has been accepted and applied by Canadian Courts under both the
Charter of Rights
and Freedoms and various Canadian human rights
statutes.
- However,
we have previously advised you in the context of the Māori Fisheries Bill
that we do not consider that an issue of discrimination
between urban and iwi
Māori arises. Our reasons for coming to this conclusion are set out in that
advice.10 In addition, we also note that
while only iwi aquaculture organisations, via TOKMTL, can be provided with
authorisations in the first
instance, the intent is that these can be
transferred to other bodies at a later time if iwi so choose.
Inter-iwi
- Clause
93 provides that commercial marine farming assets are only able to be allocated
to iwi whose territory abuts the coastline
of the region in which the assets are
allocated (clause 93(2)(a)). In other words, the sole beneficiaries of the
allocation process
are to be those iwi who have coastal rohe. On the face of it,
the restriction on which iwi are able to receive the benefit of the
allocation
raises issues of intra- ground discrimination on the grounds of ethnicity. The
issue of discrimination
between iwi was also discussed in the
context of the Māori Fisheries Bill. On that occasion, we formed the
provisional view that
individual iwi did not have their own ethnic identity.
While we remain of this view, we consider that only coastal iwi have a
recognisable
customary interest in coastal marine farming. Inland iwi are not in
a comparable position to coastal iwi and therefore no issue of
discrimination
arises.
Age
- Section
98 provides that an iwi aquaculture organisation may transfer authorisations or
coastal permits if it has obtained the prior
approval of 75 per cent of the
adult members of the organisation. "Adult" is defined as a person 18 years of
age or over.
This appears to raise issues of consistency with
section 19(1) on the prohibited
ground of age. This provision is similar to that in the Māori Fisheries
Bill where only 'adult' members of a mandated iwi organisation
are able to vote
on issues relating to the management of fisheries assets allocated under the
Bill.
- We
therefore consider that limit on the right to be free from discrimination in
section 98 is justifiable for the reasons set out
in our advice on the
Māori Fisheries Bill.11
Section 20 – rights of minorities
- Clause
7 inserts a new section 12A into the RMA. New section 12A(1) provides that no
person may occupy a coastal marine area for the
purposes of undertaking an
aquaculture activity unless that activity is authorised under the procedures set
out in this Bill. New
section 12A(2) goes on to provide that other activities
requiring occupation of the coastal marine area may take place within a
aquaculture
management area only on the basis that such activity is a restricted
discretionary activity, discretionary activity or non-complying
activity for the
purposes of the RMA. Furthermore, other activities that do not require
occupation are only permitted where they
are not incompatible with aquaculture
activities (new section 12A(3)).
- New
section 165C of the RMA provides that regional councils have the discretion to
specify what activities might be undertaken inside
an AMA. That is, councils
may, for example, specify the type of aquaculture activity to be undertaken in
an AMA and the character,
scale or intensity of the activity (section
165C(1)(b)). The regulation of activities within an AMA appears to have the
effect of
limiting the range of customary practices that Māori might
undertake within an AMA.
- As
restrictions on the use of coastal marine area could be argued to infringe
Māori customary fishing interests; new section
12A could appear to be
inconsistent with section 20 of the Bill of Rights Act. Section 20 affirms the
right of minorities12 not to be denied
their right to engage in cultural activities.13 Such a view is consistent with the
approach of the United Nations Human Rights Committee.
- The
Committee has observed that culture:
"...manifests itself in many forms, including a particular way of
life associated with land resources, especially in the case of indigenous
peoples. That right may include such traditional activities as fishing or
hunting..." 14
- Although
new sections 12A and 165C of the RMA do not constitute a total denial of the
right of Māori to engage in customary fishing
practices, we consider these
provisions limit the right to engage in this activity. We have therefore gone on
to consider whether
this limit can be justified under section 5 of the Bill of
Rights Act.
Significant and important
- As
discussed more fully above at paragraphs 6 to 9, the key aim of the Bill is to
secure a sustainable future for New Zealand's aquaculture
industry whilst
realizing the potential of the marine farming industry in New Zealand by
providing certainty around the nature and
extent of Māori interests in
aquaculture and removing the potential for legal challenges to the allocation
process. In order
to achieve these objectives it is important that the industry,
including participants who enter the
industry via the Māori
allocation mechanism, fall under the regime laid out in the RMA. The overriding
purpose of the RMA is
to promote the sustainable management of natural and
physical resources. Therefore resources must be managed for use, development
and
protection, with a requirement to meet the needs of future generations.15 We consider this to be an important and
significant objective.
Rational and proportionate response
- The
possibility of conflict between the principles of the Treaty and the aquaculture
reforms in the Bill has been raised in claims
before the Waitangi Tribunal (WAI
953). The allocation of 20% of the total marine farming space allocated since
1992 to Māori
is intended to address these conflicts. The recognition of
Māori interests in marine farming must be considered a crucial mitigating
factor to those parts of the Bill that preclude marine farming from anywhere in
the coastal marine area other than inside an AMA.
We also note that the
government has a legitimate role in regulating the aquaculture industry by
subjecting all forms of aquaculture,
whether
customary or not, to a
regime (in this case the RMA) on the basis that the government is compelled to
protect and conserve the environment
of New Zealand. On this point we note the
comments of Cooke P in Ngai Tahu Māori Trust Board v Director-General of
Conservation: 16
"Clearly, whatever version or rendering [of the Treaty of Waitangi] is
preferred, the first article must cover power in the Queen
in Parliament to
enact comprehensive legislation for the protection and conservation of the
environment and natural resources. The
rights and interests of everyone in New
Zealand, Māori, Pakeha and all others alike, must be subject to that
overriding authority.”
- We
also note that the Bill provides a number of mechanisms to protect customary
practices by:
- Requiring the
Chief Executive of the Ministry of Fisheries to assess whether an AMA proposed
by a regional council will have an undue
adverse effect on customary,
recreational, or commercial fishing. If it has such an effect on customary or
recreational fishing,
the affected areas will be removed from the AMA (new
Schedule 1A of the RMA);
- Requiring the
Chief Executive to consult with persons and organisations that he or she
considers represents classes of persons who
have customary interests in proposed
aquaculture management area (new section 186E(3)(a) of Fisheries Act;
- Enabling the
Crown (Department of Conservation) to have a role in the planning process for
AMA through a power to direct councils
to provide for iwi settlements and
potentially wider Treaty purposes;
- Requiring
voluntary agreements to be reached between quota owners and aquaculture
interests before any application can be made in
respect of any part of an AMA
where an undue adverse effect on commercial fishing has been determined; and
- Providing
regional councils with the discretion to offer authorisations for coastal
permits for the occupation of space in the coastal
marine area for activities
other than aquaculture (new section 165F of the RMA).
- We
have also been notified by the Ministry for the Environment that other customary
practices (i.e. other than customary fishing and
customary commercial marine
farming) will be protected in the Foreshore and Seabed Bill by the granting of
Customary Rights Orders.
These Orders recognise legitimate customary activities
and protect any limit on their exercise. The Ministry has stated:
"The current drafting of that Bill [Foreshore and Seabed] provides
that the Customary Rights Orders operate outside the section 9-17
controls [of
the RMA] (refer clause 75 of the Foreshore and Seabed Bill). This will include
section 12A when it is enacted. So section
12A(2) will not have any effect on a
person carrying out a recognised customary activity
(provided they act within the scope of the CRO). The CRO activities are only
regulated by controls imposed by the Minister of Conservation
under the proposed
Schedule 12 process."
- In
addition, we also note the provisions in the RMA that require public hearings to
be held when a resource consent is being considered.
Under section 40 of the RMA
every person who has made a submission and stated that they wished to be heard
at the hearing, may speak
and call evidence. We consider this provides an
important opportunity for those who consider they have a customary interest in a
certain area to inform the relevant regional council so that this might be taken
into account when deciding to grant the consent.
The Ministry of Fisheries has
also stated that:
"One of the primary reasons why the Bill provides for the Ministry
of Fisheries to take an assessment on the effects of an AMA on
customary fishing
is to prevent an infringement of Māori customary fishing interests. If it
is considered that any AMA or part
of an AMA could have an undue adverse effect
on customary fishing then the AMA, or that part of the AMA, will not proceed.
This is
in addition to the general RMA provisions that councils need to comply
with to ensure that their decisions do not result in unreasonable
impacts on
Māori customary interests."
- For
these reasons we therefore consider the measures used to achieve the objectives
listed above are rational and proportionate. It
follows that the provisions of
the Bill that might limit the rights affirmed in section 20 of the Bill of
Rights Act are justifiable
under section 5 of that Act.
Section 27(2) – right to apply for judicial review
- New
section 186I of the Fisheries Act 1996 and clause 149 of the Bill provide that
any person seeking a judicial review of a determination
or reservation made in
accordance with the RMA must do so within 3 months after the public notification
of the determination or reservation.
A determination for the purposes of the
Bill is defined as being a decision by the Chief Executive of the Ministry of
Fisheries that
he or she is satisfied that a proposed aquaculture management
area will not have an undue adverse effect on fishing. A reservation,
on the
other hand is a decision to the effect that the Chief Executive is not satisfied
that the area will not have an undue effect.
- On
the face of it, restrictions on the period within which a person may apply for
judicial review of a determination are inconsistent
with section 27(2) of the
Bill of Rights Act. However, section 27(2) affirms the right of any person
affected by a decision made
by a public authority to apply for judicial review
of a determination in accordance with the law. As the White Paper notes,
this phrase recognises that the law may regulate review proceedings by imposing
time periods within which
proceedings may be brought so long as the regulation
of the period does not amount to an effective denial of the right.17 We consider that a requirement to seek
review within 3 months after the public notification of the determination or
reservation is
not tantamount to a denial of the right. In reaching this
conclusion we note that the range of persons who would have an interest
in the
outcome of the determination would have been consulted over the proposed
aquaculture management area and
the issues involved (see new
sections 186D - 186H). In other words, those potentially affected by the
decision will have received
forewarning about the pending decision and had time
to consider potential options for legal challenge.
Section 27(3) – right to bring civil proceedings against the Crown
- Part
5 of the Bill contains the framework for settling Māori commercial marine
farming claims. Clause 59 of the Bill sets out
the purpose of this part of the
Bill . It states that Part 5 provides, amongst other things, a full and final
settlement of Māori
claims to commercial aquaculture after 21 September
1992. The purpose clause is reinforced by clause 61 of the Bill. We have
reproduced
clause 61 for your reference.
61 Settlement of claims
(1) The claims specified in subsection (2) are fully and finally
settled, satisfied, and discharged.
(2) Subsection (1) applies to all claims (current and
future)—
(a) by Māori in respect of commercial aquaculture activities arising
after 21 September 1992,
in the coastal marine area
-
(i) whether the claims are founded on rights arising by or in common law
(including customary law and aboriginal title), the Treaty
of Waitangi, statute,
or otherwise; and
(ii) whether in respect of sea, or coastal, aquaculture activities including
any commercial aspect of traditional aquaculture
activities; and
(iii) whether or not the claims have been the subject of adjudication by the
courts or any recommendation from the Waitangi Tribunal;
and
(b) in respect of, or directly or indirectly based on, rights and interests
of Māori in
aquaculture activities after 21 September
1992.
(3) The obligations of the Crown to Māori in respect of commercial
aquaculture activities
after 21 September 1992 are
fulfilled, satisfied, and discharged.
(4) No court or tribunal has jurisdiction to inquire into -
(a) the validity of the claims:
(b) the existence of rights and interests of Māori in commercial
aquaculture activities after
21 September 1992; or
(c) the quantification or the adequacy of the benefits to Māori provided
by or under this Part.
- The
effect of clause 61 is to make it clear that this Bill is to fully determine the
extent of Māori commercial marine farming
interests from 21 September 1992
and to fully discharge the Crown's obligations to Māori in respect of these
interests. It would
therefore appear that Māori will not be
able to go to the courts or to the Waitangi Tribunal to challenge the extent of
Māori
interest in commercial marine farming interests post September 1992
as determined by the Crown. On the face of it, such a clear and
broad limit on
the ability of individuals or groups of individuals to bring proceedings against
the Crown might appear to be inconsistent
with section 27(3) of the Bill of
Rights Act.
- However,
as Huscroft 18 points out, section 27(3)
of the Bill of Rights Act only protects the right to equality in litigation
involving the Crown; it does
not prevent Parliament from introducing and passing
legislation which may affect an individual's substantive rights. Parliament is
entitled to pass legislation that it deems to be in the public interest. Clause
61 therefore appears to be consistent with section
27(3).
- This
interpretation of section 27(3) is consistent with the approach adopted by
McGechan J in Westco Lagan Ltd v Attorney-General.
Conclusion
- We
have concluded that the provisions of the Bill do appear to be consistent with
the rights and freedoms contained in the Bill of
Rights Act.
- In
accordance with your instructions, we attach a copy of this opinion for referral
to the Minister of Justice. Copies are also attached
for referral to the
Minister of Justice, Minister of Fisheries, the Minister of Conservation, the
Minister for the
Environment and the Minister of Māori Affairs
if you agree.
Margaret Dugdale
Policy Manager
Bill of Rights/Human Rights Team
|
Allison Bennett
Principal Legal Adviser
Office of Legal Counsel
|
cc. Minister of Justice Minister of Fisheries Minster for the Environment
Minister of Conservation
Minister of Māori Affairs
In addition to the general disclaimer for all documents on this website,
please note the following: This advice was prepared to assist
the
Attorney-General to determine whether a report should be made to Parliament
under s 7 of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990
in relation to the
Aquaculture Reform Bill. It should not be used or acted upon for any other
purpose. The advice does no more than
assess whether the Bill complies with the
minimum guarantees contained in the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act. The release
of this
advice should not be taken to indicate that the Attorney-General agrees
with all aspects of it, nor does its release constitute a
general waiver of
legal professional privilege in respect of this or any other matter. Whilst care
has been taken to ensure that
this document is an accurate
reproduction of the advice provided to the Attorney-General, neither the
Ministry of Justice nor the Crown Law Office accepts any
liability for any
errors or omissions.
Footnotes
- As
defined in Clause 60
- TOKMTL
is established under the Māori Fisheries Bill.
3. [1999] NZCA 232; [2000] 1 NZLR 285 (see page 324 line 46, page 329 line 15, CA
paras [23], [33], [204]).
- Moonen
v Film and Literature Board of Review [1999] NZCA 329; [2000] 2 NZLR 9
- Subject
to an authorisation for new space and an aquaculture agreement under section
186ZE of the Fisheries Act 1996.
- Waitangi
Tribunal The Aquaculture and Marine Farming Report: Wai 953 (Legislation
Direct, Wellington, 2002) at p. 60
- Regional
Coastal Plans are developed by regional councils under the first schedule of the
Resource Management Act 1991 to manage the
use of space in the coastal marine
area of their region.
- Under
the Bill Aquaculture Management Areas will be established by regional councils
under their Regional Coastal Plan. Marine farming
will only be able to occur in
the coastal marine area within an Aquaculture Management Area.
- See
clause 82(a) - the iwi aquaculture organisation must be a mandated iwi
organisation
under the Māori Fisheries Act 2004.
- The
Ministry's advice is available on our website.
- The
Ministry's advice is available on our website. For the discussion on age see
paragraphs 19-21.
- In
Mahuika v New Zealand Communication No 547/1993, 15 November 2000,
paragraph 9.3, the HRC recorded that it had not been disputed by the New Zealand
Government
that Māori were, for the purposes of art 27 ICCPR, a 'minority'.
We accept for the purposes of
this opinion that Māori would
constitute a 'minority' under section 20
- Te
Runanga O Whare Kauri Rekoku Inc v Attorney General HC Wellington, 12/10/92
CP
682/92. As noted above, the Waitangi Tribunal recognised
Māori interests in aquaculture.
- UN
General Comment 23, The Rights of Minorities para 3.2.
- See
section 5(2) of the RMA for the full
definition.
16. [1995] 3 NZLR 553
- 1985
White Paper "A Bill of Rights for New Zealand", tabled in the House of
Representatives by the then Minister of Justice, Hon Geoffrey
Palmer paragraph
10.175. See, too, Grant Huscroft (2003) "The Right to Justice" in Rishworth,
Huscroft, Optican, Mahoney The New Zealand Bill of Rights Act, Oxford
University Press p763.
- G
Huscroft (2003), "The Right to Justice" in The New Zealand Bill of Rights Act
Oxford University Press, pp 764-765.
- Westco
Lagan Ltd v Attorney-General [2000] NZHC 1350; [2001] 1 NZLR 40 (HC), 55.
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