Essential travel during COVID-19 Alert Level 4 - from MOJ

The Secretary for Justice, Andrew Kibblewhite, has written to the Commissioner of Police, Andrew Coster to express his view that travel by defendants, prisoners and young people from Court, prison or a Youth Justice placement to their residence can be classified as essential travel.

As the Secretary for Justice, Mr Kibblewhite is required to determine what constitutes essential travel in the justice system during COVID-19 Alert level 4. 

He has stated that the exception to the level 4 travel restrictions extends to whanau and other support people travelling to pick up and deliver defendants, prisoners and young people for these purposes. While many journeys from Court to residences will be local, journeys from prisons or Youth Justice placements to addresses could cover long distances (for example from Hawkes Bay Prison to Gisborne; and from Christchurch Men's Prison to the West Coast and Tasman regions) .

Mr Kibblewhite has requested that Police, in recommending bail residences, minimise the distances required to be travelled.

Mr Kibblewhite notes that it is not practicable for individual letters or other documents to be issued to people who are travelling for this purpose. If there is any doubt about whether travel is legitimate, enquiries may be made with the relevant prison or court, or with Oranga Tamariki in respect of young people.

He has shared his information with the profession, the judiciary, Oranga Tamariki and Ministry of Justice staff so these arrangements can, as far as possible, be made in advance

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