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APPENDIX A

Letter to recipients enclosing draft report

11 February 2002

PROTECTING THE INTELLECTUALLY DISADVANTAGED FROM SELF-HARM

The Law Commission has been asked by its Minister for a report, the essential concern of which is whether the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act 1988 needs to be strengthened following the changes to the Intellectual Disability (Compulsory Care) Bill recommended by the parliamentary select committee, the Health Committee, which considered that Bill.

The document enclosed sets out the precise wording of our terms of reference and the reasons why attention to this matter has been thought necessary.

The Commission has decided to go about this job in this way. Following a certain amount of initial research, the team working on this project has arrived at certain conclusions which I must stress are no more than tentative conclusions. These views are embodied in a draft report a copy of which is enclosed.

The Commission is anxious that before it reaches any final conclusions there should be consultation with those engaged in this field. The basic function of the enclosed document is to focus discussion, and it needs to be clearly understood that the Commission is entirely open to being persuaded that the draft needs changing.

We are sending copies of our draft to those who made submissions on the Intellectual Disability (Compulsory Care) Bill, to people and organisations who we know are concerned with the welfare of senior citizens, to all the Family Court Judges, and to various other people and organisations who we think may be able to help us in our task.

We would very grateful for any help you may be able to give us. The most useful thing would be for you to send us a letter or email us at com@lawcom.govt.nz, but if this is not something you can manage you should feel free to telephone Commissioner Donald Dugdale or Legal Research Officer Helen Colebrook at (04) 473 3453.

We are up against certain time constraints in this matter that compel us to say that if you intend to respond to this letter, we need to have heard from you by 22 March.

For the Law Commission

DF Dugdale
Commissioner

Enc