KEY POINTS:
Pacific Islanders want bigger rooms in the High Court at Auckland to settle church disputes.
Lawyer Olinda Woodroffe, who acts for several churches, has told Minister of Courts Georgina te Heuheu that the disputes invariably ended in the High Court for a resolution.
But the conference rooms in Auckland were small and not "user friendly" to sectors of society who paid taxes for facilities like the courts.
She told Mrs te Heuheu in a letter published in the Auckland District Law Society newsletter that to most Pacific migrants New Zealand churches replaced village community life.
"The families put substantial time, money and effort into the life of their church and where there is a dispute, a church congregation often attends a settlement conference in large numbers."
She asked the minister for a large room to be allocated which could accommodate at least 50 people.
- NZPA
