GOFF SUPPORTS 'CLEAN SLATE' LEGISLATION

WELLINGTON -- Justice Minister Phil Goff wants to revive 1990 legislation
wiping clean the criminal records of people who have kept out of trouble for
at least 10 years.

Mr Goff said the legislation would apply only to minor offences and to
people who had not reoffended since.

He had received a lot of correspondence from people who had committed a
crime when they were young, and continued to suffer the consequences when
applying for jobs or wanting to travel.

He believed there should be provision to effectively seal the criminal
records of people in such cases.

"I would like at the very least to see a public debate, but my inclination
is to support such legislation after a period of consultation with the
public and wider discussion."

The issue was one of several raised by Green Party justice spokesman Nandor
Tanczos at a meeting with Mr Goff.

Mr Tanczos said the Greens supported "clean slate" legislation, and he would
consider drafting a private member's bill.

Mr Goff said Labour MP Damien O'Connor was also drafting a bill, and it was
possible a private member's bill might speed up the process.

"Whether it comes forward as a government bill or member's bill is less
important to me than that serious consideration be given to the issue."

Clean-slate legislation was first proposed by Labour in 1990 but was dropped
when National took power in 1991, although former justice minister Sir
Douglas Graham later raised the issue for debate.

Privacy Commissioner Bruce Slane said last year he hoped Labour would revive
its 1990 legislation.

Countries like Australia and Great Britain already had such legislation, Mr
Slane said.

Research showed people often offended between the ages of 15 to 25, but then
changed their lifestyle, rendering earlier convictions irrelevant when they
were in their 40s or older.

Mr Goff said the "general tenor" of the legislation he was considering
acknowledged that people should be able to put the mistakes of their youth
behind them.

"You should be able to live down your past and there should be an incentive
for somebody who may have gone off the tracks at some point in their life
to, by their subsequent behaviour, show that this is something they've left
well behind them."

The exception was serious offenders, such as violent criminals or
pedophiles.

Mr Tanczos said he also raised cannabis reform, more rights for victims, and
establishing a public prosecutor's office to take over some police powers.

Mr Goff said Labour had already promised a review of the cannabis laws
during this term of government.

"My personal view is that I'm not in favour of legalisation but it may be
that there are other models, where it can be demonstrated that there is
still a sanction against the smoking of marijuana, but not one that involves
a conviction if it's a small amount of drugs."