Posts by Rich of Observationz
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ex_post_facto_law
Whether this would apply in the current case is debatable. IANAL, you know, and I suspect you’d get multiple answers if you asked a few.
But also, rights against unlawful search and seizure are entrenched in the US constitution – alteration would require constitutional amendment – or persuading the Supreme Court into an alternate interpretation, which is probably easier.
Also, very few overseas jurisdictions practically allow a law to be passed in two weeks with only a simple majority in a unicameral parliament. Many of them also have other locks – CERA could never pass in the US, for instance: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nondelegation_doctrine)
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This is both tangential and anecdotal, but I was told (by a christian working in the education sector) that Parachute is responsible for a larger number of unwanted conceptions than any other NZ festival.
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You might want to learn some constitutional law.
We are not an absolute monarchy. The "Crown" is simply a term for the government acting as a legal entity, which comes back to being an instrument of parliament. The monarch hasn't vetoed a Bill since Queen Anne. If a G-G did get stroppy, the PM could sack him with one fax.
The Supreme Court has pretty much the same powers as the Privy Council did - it was just a change of personnel and location.
Basically, it's elective dictatorship. We should (as the Irish did in 1937) get ourselves a written constitution that sets limits. But politicians are opposed to it, for a range of reasons.
for instance, part of me is quite pleased that, when we finally get a truly left-wing government, they'll be able to pass a law in all-stages urgency to confiscate all property over $900k, close down the right-wing press and defer any further elections until the revolutionary situation permits. Ok, the last one would arguably take two laws, one to strip out the entrenchment and the other to defer the election
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Up Front: It's Not Sex, and It's Not Education, in reply to Max Rose,
Sodomy and buggery *and* tautology. Evil.
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Field Theory: Rugby World Cup stories, in reply to BenWilson,
Yes, by passing legislation that overturned the decision.
The NZ parliament can pass any law whatsoever (subject to a few grey areas around entrenchment).
(This is unlike the US and most European states, where legislation that contravenes the constitutional framework - US constitution, European law, ECHR - can be voided, either by the supreme courts or in the case of Europe by supranational courts).
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Busytown: Sons for the Return Home, in reply to BenWilson,
who would be crass enough to drive such a beauty?
But that's the point of a car - you've got to drive it, even if only under controlled conditions, to demonstrate it's reality. Otherwise it's just a car-like sculpture - it could have an engine that doesn't work and wheels that don't turn.
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Busytown: Sons for the Return Home, in reply to chris,
As a business option, NZ universities could offer some 100-level courses with Mandarin as the teaching language? That would allow Chinese kids with a poor grasp of English to start giving us money while learning enough English to do the usual classes in the second year.
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Speaker: Party Central, structures and silos, in reply to Sacha,
What's a "world class city" anyway? Moscow? Beijing? Mexico City? Lagos?
I live in Wellington. It's a great capital village, and I can't think of anyplace I'd rather live. Sure, there's not the "..fast pace and fast trains and much bigger clubs, ... money and kudos and much stronger drugs" (Princess Chelsea)
I'd be happy with economic goals of a decent income for everyone, quality housing, basic services and a clean environment. There are always going to be better places to make lots of money than NZ.
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adult North Islanders who have never gone south of Cook Strait
You don't believe those ridiculous stories that there's another island down there, do you? Those mountains you see in the mist from Island Bay are just clouds. There's nothing there. Dragons and sea monsters, maybe. And then The Edge...
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Hard News: Media7: Covering the Coverage, in reply to Martin Roberts,
Overseas they have this technology called RDS that cuts from the station (or other source) that you are listening to into any traffic reports that pop up.
This has never caught on in NZ (and will soon be obsoleted by real-time traffic over mobile internet, except for visitors who can't afford the roaming fees).