PostSource: New Zealand Ministry of JusticeHeadline: The Ministry of Justice’s handling of Russell Harrison’s employmentMEDIA RELEASE5 August 2026The Ministry of Justice will strengthen its employment and management practices after recognising it made a number of mistakes in the employment of Russell Harrison, says Secretary for Justice Andrew Kibblewhite. We have both received an independent legal review of our legal advice and undertaken our own stocktake of what happened. Most significantly we missed the chance to terminate Mr Harrison’s employment when we received his Police vetting report on the same day he was charged. Having reviewed the matter, I now believe we should have moved to terminate Mr Harrison’s employment at that point, instead of suspending him. Mr Harrison’s leave was managed closely after that, and he was required to take his full entitlement of leave each year.