NEW ZEALAND and Australian government officials met last week at the first meeting of the Trans-Tasman Working Group on Court Proceedings and Regulatory Enforcement to discuss the potential of future cooperation between the two nations.

The purpose of the meeting was to consider areas of future cooperation between the court systems of NZ and Australia, and to streamline proceedings and regulatory enforcement.

The meeting in Canberra was said to have come about after correspondence between NZ Prime Minister Helen Clark and John Howard last year. They determined that a working group should be established, Attorney-General Philip Ruddock said last week.

“Our goal is to try to reduce barriers to trans-Tasman commercial activity by enhancing legal cooperation in such areas as service of process, the taking of evidence, the recognition of judgements in civil and regulatory matters and regulatory enforcement,” Ruddock said.