Clarification Required – Administrative Records Relating to Abatement (PPN 1685892711)

Clarification Required – Administrative Records Relating to Abatement (PPN 1685892711)

Date:22 January 2026

To: Ministerial Services

Ministry of Justice | Tāhū o te Ture

Email: [email protected]

Thank you for your response of 21 January 2026.

I note the Ministry’s position that the courts are not subject to the Official Information Act 1982. However, my request does not seek judicial deliberation, judicial reasoning, or the substance of any judicial decision. It seeks confirmation of administrative handling and record-keeping undertaken by the Ministry in its acknowledged role providing administrative support to the courts.

For clarity, the information sought relates solely to matters of administrative fact, namely whether a formal abatement was:

received by a court registry or Ministry-administered intake point;

logged, recorded, or entered on any court or registry system;

routed to, or placed before, a Registrar or judicial officer; and

recorded in any administrative, enforcement, or case-management system as affecting the procedural status of the matter.

These matters concern administrative processing and record existence. They do not engage judicial independence or court deliberation.

If the Ministry maintains that no such information is held, please confirm:

What searches were undertaken to locate any administrative records relating to the abatement;

Which Ministry business units, registries, or electronic systems were checked;

Whether any enquiry was made of the relevant court registry regarding receipt or logging of the abatement;

Whether any enforcement, fines-management, or collections system reflects the existence or status of the abatement.

Further, my request sought clarification as to whether administrative enforcement may proceed in circumstances where:

a Not Guilty plea has been entered;

a formal abatement has been served on the prosecution and court; and

no judicial response or determination of the abatement exists.

This question was not addressed in your response. Please advise whether the Ministry holds any policy, guidance, instruction, or administrative authority relied upon to permit enforcement in those circumstances.

For completeness, this correspondence is confined to confirmation of administrative handling and record existence only, and does not seek judicial reasoning, judicial decisions, or access to court documents beyond administrative records.

Steve

Chairman

InLandsAirWater Counsel – PTNDA

Reference: PPN 1685892711