Skip to main content

What external legal costs, if any, were incurred by any department or entity for which the Minister is responsible in each financial year since 2020/21, broken down by department or entity and by the nature of the legal work (litigation, commercial advice, employment matters, Treaty matters, or other)?

Corrected reply Question 9303 (2026)
Question published
Reply lodged
Bookmark

Asked by

Camilla Belich

List MP · Labour Party

Question

  • What external legal costs, if any, were incurred by any department or entity for which the Minister is responsible in each financial year since 2020/21, broken down by department or entity and by the nature of the legal work (litigation, commercial advice, employment matters, Treaty matters, or other)?

Answered by

Hon Mark Mitchell

Member for Whangaparāoa · National Party · Minister of Corrections

Answer

Corrected reply: As one of New Zealand’s largest public service departments, Corrections employs around 11,000 staff and is responsible for managing more than 11,000 prisoners and approximately 25,500 people in the community. Corrections manages 17 prisons and a significant number of Community Corrections sites across the country. I refer the member to the attached table, which provides a list of the vendors used by Corrections for external legal advice between 1 July 2020 and 28 February 2026, and the associated costs.

Answer attachment

Download WQ_09303_2026.pdf

application/pdf · 144,727 bytes