Browsing by Author "Chu, Judy"

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Open Access
Avenues for enhancing social inclusion: Rethinking New Zealand's approach to social security and welfare
(Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2016) Chu, Judy
At present, an intense focus on paid work undergirds the Social Security Act 1964. However, many argue that a broad emphasis on social inclusion should be the primary focus of New Zealand's social security and welfare legislation. This paper explores how the idea of social inclusion has developed in New Zealand and analyses two options for implementing a greater focus on social inclusion. It will begin by briefly defining social inclusion and identifying some of the obstacles complicating implementation. Namely, it will discuss the difficulty of identifying when social inclusion is achieved and concerns about sustainability. This paper will also examine the different occasions in the past where the Government has given particular focus to this idea of social inclusion. Finally, in terms of implementing a greater focus on social inclusion, it will explore the prospects of introducing a right to social inclusion into the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 and the consequences of directly amending the Social Security Act to include a focus on social inclusion. It will argue that making direct changes to the Social Security Act is likely the best option.
Open Access
Denigration of the Criminal Justice System: A reflection of the 1970s New Zealand courts through an analysis of the Arthur Allan Thomas trials
(Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2015) Chu, Judy
This paper is a critique of New Zealand’s criminal justice system as it existed in the 1970s. Through an analysis of the Arthur Allan Thomas trials, in which the courts failed to produce a just result, it will demonstrate how the system was crippled by three of its major components; the prosecution, the judiciary and the jury. While acknowledging the prominent roles played by the defence and the police in the Thomas case, they will not be the focus of this paper. After setting out the chronology of appeals and proceedings that lead up to Thomas’ royal pardon, this paper will go on to explain why the criminal justice system was ineffective. It will do so by unravelling the systematic bias and unethical practice that occurred within the prosecution and the judiciary. Lastly, it will illustrate the adverse effect such practices had on the impartiality of jurors.