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Full-Text Articles in Law

Public Reporting Of Courts’ Performance – How Is This Best Achieved?, Matthew S.R. Palmer Mar 2013

Public Reporting Of Courts’ Performance – How Is This Best Achieved?, Matthew S.R. Palmer

The Hon Justice Matthew Palmer

In this address Matthew Palmer suggests: 1 The disclosure of information, probably more information than the judiciary feels comfortable disclosing, in a simple, straightforward, unvarnished way, is essential to the medium term constitutional legitimacy of the judiciary. 2 Judges, public servants and politicians speak different languages. Recognising the differences is the first step to a better understanding of, and communication with, each other and, perhaps to mitigating the potential for constitutional conflicts to get out of hand. 3 It’s not constitutionally appropriate for the executive or legislative branches of government to decide, over the wishes of the judiciary, on the …


The Normative Underpinnings Of Taxation, Sagit Leviner Dr. Dec 2012

The Normative Underpinnings Of Taxation, Sagit Leviner Dr.

Sagit Leviner Dr.

Questions about the appropriate rules and mechanisms of taxation are, first and foremost, questions concerning the nature of society. What can be taxed, what cannot, for what purpose, when, and how, are all matters that go to the heart of society and, in particular, concern society’s underlying beliefs and values vis-à-vis the meaning and attainment of justice. This Article explores the role of normative values and theory in tax policymaking. It suggests that a candid elaboration of normative perspectives, and how they shed light on taxation, could lead to a better understanding of society as well as a better tax …


Human Rights And Social Policy In New Zealand, Claudia Geiringer, Matthew S. R. Palmer Mar 2007

Human Rights And Social Policy In New Zealand, Claudia Geiringer, Matthew S. R. Palmer

The Hon Justice Matthew Palmer

This article aims to facilitate debate about the implications for New Zealand social policy making of taking a rights-based approach. It does so by exploring the sources and scope of New Zealand’s international human rights obligations, particularly in relation to economic, social and cultural rights. It identifies a range of constraints on social policy making deriving from these obligations and suggests that explicit and systematic attention to these constraints constitutes the essence of a rights-based approach to social policy making. Finally, the article comments on the adequacy of existing processes and structures of New Zealand government for giving effect to …


Thinking About Law And Policy: Lessons For Lawyers, Matthew S. R. Palmer Dec 2006

Thinking About Law And Policy: Lessons For Lawyers, Matthew S. R. Palmer

The Hon Justice Matthew Palmer

The paper outlines a simplified view of the paradigmatic approaches of the disciplines of law to legal issues and policy analysis to policy issues. It examines the strengths and weaknesses of the inherent biases likely to emanate from each approach when applied to matters of policy advice within Government. It suggests that, when approaching policy issues, those with legal training should be aware of the need to: identify the government’s objective; identifying all relevant policy options; and the need to undertake a broad analysis of all relevant considerations.


Constitutional Design And Law: The Political Economy Of Cabinet And Congressional Government, Matthew S. R. Palmer Nov 1993

Constitutional Design And Law: The Political Economy Of Cabinet And Congressional Government, Matthew S. R. Palmer

The Hon Justice Matthew Palmer

The dissertation takes a political economy approach to constitutional design and legislation in the Westminster (Cabinet) and US (Congressional) models of government. Part I develops the economics of comparative political organization by constructing a theoretical framework for analyzing constitutional design. Part II applies the framework to distinguish the essences of the Cabinet and Congressional systems of constitutional design in the contexts of US and Canadian federal government. Part III analyzes the effects of the different constitutional designs on the processes of legislating in each system and on the substantive characteristics of legislation in each system. The analysis is subjected to …