§ Mr. Beith:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements there are for hearing Pitcairn Island criminal cases in New Zealand. [131403]
§ Mr. Rammell:On the advice of the Pitcairn Chief Justice, the Governor of Pitcairn signed an order on 28 March granting authority for criminal legal proceedings to take place in New Zealand. Necessary legislation has been passed by the New Zealand Parliament to enable such trials to be held in New Zealand under Pitcairn law. A final decision on the venue for trials in individual cases is however a matter for the Pitcairn Supreme courts.