Embattled candidate’s JP role under scrutiny

High-flying Labour candidate Steven Ching is to be asked to reconsider his status as a Justice of the Peace, as new concerns emerge about his business dealings.

The Royal Federation of NZ Justices cannot revoke his appointment but, prompted by a complaint, is expected to write to him asking him to consider whether it is appropriate for him to remain a JP.

Mr Ching, 63, was spirited out of the Labour Party's election year congress last weekend after the Herald on Sunday discovered he had pleaded guilty to obstructing a fisheries officer in a major squid fishing bust - and had not disclosed it to the party or in applying to be a JP.

This newspaper now has translations of advertisements placed by his immigration company in Auckland's Mandarin Times, in which he offers JP services to clients - said by the federation generally to be a breach of JP ethical rules.

National MP Lindsay Tisch, also a JP, has laid formal complaints with both the Federation of Justices and Associate Justice Minister Rick Barker.

Mr Barker was taking advice on Mr Ching's status, his spokeswoman said yesterday. He had "improved the JP vetting process" since Mr Ching's appointment, requiring applicants be supported by two community organisations, the Federation and the court registrar who interviewed them.

Mr Ching's company Summit International ran a large Chinese-language newspaper advertisement last month, which offered free JP services to approve application forms, according to translations.

The advertisement also said the Government had closed the doors to immigrants.

It offered to instead expedite permanent residency in the Phillippines or Nauru, with a British Commonwealth "passport" and visa-free access to 70 countries.

Mr Ching refused to comment, saying all inquiries should be directed to his lawyer. But he also refused to say who his lawyer was.

The Royal Federation has said it is "extremely disturbed" Mr Ching made it through the vetting process, after the judge ordered him to pay court costs, then discharged him without conviction to avoid jeopardising his JP ambitions.

- Herald on Sunday