A planned overhaul of the legal aid system will cost more for a worse service, say lawyers.

The Government is tightening legal aid rules - including making it harder for the wealthier to have legal aid for criminal cases - to try and clamp down on an expected $402m blow-out in the next five years.

The man accused of murdering Auckland woman Carmen Thomas has made a brief appearance in court today.

They're our corporate doctors. But do receivers and liquidators deliver the right medicine, or just bleed the patient dry? Karyn Scherer reports.

Father of two Richard Neville is suing police for gross negligence and mental trauma after he was caught up in a bungled shootout on Auckland's northwestern motorway.

Disgruntled drivers are being encouraged to take legal action after being hit with fines of up to $300 by a "cowboy" clamping company in Auckland.

Former finance company boss Rod Petricevic was yesterday denied taxpayer legal aid, but his fraud case has been postponed to give his lawyer time to decide whether to appeal.

Mel Gibson wants Oksana Grigorieva immediately stripped of custody of their daughter.

David Bain has spoken out about his dire financial situation, telling the New Idea magazine: "I'm having to do everything from nothing. I've had to do a catch-up of 15 years. I've had no income.