http://www.Kiwisfirst.com/rss/ Kiwis First News AUCKLAND JUDGE JUDY POTTER ABORTS TRIAL TO TAKE HOLIDAY. Powerful QC called her "An embarrassment to the Court". 27 March 2008 New evidence is coming to light over Auckland High Court Judge Judy Potter aborting a multiple defendant criminal trial lat week so that her six-week South American Holiday was not delayed. Seven days into the expected ten-day ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732561 Thu, 27 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EST NEW ZEALAND vs THE INTERNET 23 December 2009         In a speech to an R v Internet seminar sponsored by the Law Commission earlier this month, NZ Solicitor General David Collins suggested informal international law enforcement arrangements and "international treaties" be sought to combat internet publishers who do not abide by government suppression orders.              Collins admitted to undertaking "3-4" contempt prosecutions against ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732812 Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST APARTHEID LAWYER APPOINTED ETHICS HEAD OF NEW ZEALAND LAW SOCIETY 21 December 2009 Lawyer Lapa Lauscher is now the Professional Standards Director for the New Zealand Law Society.  Laubcher was PW Botha's former lawyer.  Botha was the last bastion of apartheid in South Africa as President until 1989.  Lauscher advised Botha not to testify at the subsequent Truth and Reconclilation Commission.  He then emigrated to New Zealand where he has been ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732813 Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST THE RIGHT TO KNOW - when slience threatens justice The Story of New Zealand Writer Anne Hunt.   dateline: 1 May 2008 Steven Price, who wrote Media Minefield (a journalists' guide to media regulation in New Zealand) says he thinks he's right in saying Anne Hunt's book, Broken Silence, is the only book ever to be banned and ordered to be pulped by NZ's High Court. A stay of execution was required to prevent the ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732569 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 06:00:00 EST DEATH AND GREED ON MATAKANA ISLAND, dateline 14 February 2008 You get a feeling things are bad when, within 5 days of a man being found incinerated in the back seat of his car, the car crudely parked on an isolated road, the police investigator is claiming suicide. The empty petrol container allegedly used to create the inferno is found tucked away in the closed boot of the car. The police surmised the man poured petrol over himself and his backseat before tidying up enough to ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732554 Wed, 13 Feb 2008 11:00:00 EST What happens when you are the highest legal official in the country and, in your first year in office, you create an international incident, file two Crown legal actions that ignore basic laws and use your public office to prosecute your political opponents? If you are the NZ Solicitor General David Collins (left), you get a pay raise. Now that the United Nations ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732555 Wed, 13 Feb 2008 11:00:00 EST NEED BETTER WORK STORIES? 28 February 2008 The twelve Police detectives who laid siege to the Gulf Harbour home of Vince and Jane Siemer at 7.00 am Thursday morning 21st Feb 2008 can add the intimate details they learned of this family's personal lives to their Friday nights out on the ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732557 Thu, 28 Feb 2008 11:00:00 EST AUCKLAND CITY DREDGES THROUGH COUNCIL DIVISIONS 7 March 2008 There is a new guard in charge of Auckland City Council. They are a fierce and determined bunch. In a spirited "Combined Committees" session on Wednesday 5 March, fights over money and politics created banter bordering on a verbal brawl. In the early going, long-time City Vision Counselor Cathy Casey passionately attacked a C&R sponsored motion which would put current ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732558 Thu, 06 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EST Deterioration of Police Standards Plagues New Zealand Force Dateline: 10 March 2008 Less than a generation ago the New Zealand Police endeavoured to increase the quality of its ranks by recruiting more educated and morally conscious constables. The impetus in thought was that moral and educated cops make moral and educated decisions. The consequent recruit-marketing stressed honour, as well as pride in accomplishment. http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732559 Sun, 09 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EST JUDGE LANCE’S WRATH 27 April 2009 Judge Michael Lance QC (left) is under criminal investigation for allegedly vandalising the car of Auckland businessman Richard Cummins.  The incident happened on 23 March 2009 in front of the Judge’s apartment block in Browns Bay, Auckland.  The crime was witnessed by two patrons at a ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732570 Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EST STRATFORD RACING CLUB MEMBERSHIP DECIDED BY COURT OF APPEAL 20 May 2008     by  Vincent Middeldorp In the recent Zimbabwe elections, ballot boxes were brought into police headquarters in the capital Harare where ballot papers for Robert Mugabe were added and ballots for Morgan Tsvangirai removed.  Two weeks later in New Zealand, the Court of Appeal condoned a much better system for rigging election outcomes; albeit not for the Presidency of the ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732571 Mon, 19 May 2008 06:00:00 EST $62 Million New Annual Budget for Auckland Consultants 21 May 2008  In an Official Information Act response to Water Pressure Group Spokesperson Penny Bright received last week, Auckland City Council revealed previously undisclosed data on the City's financial expenditures and structure.  Among other things, it disclosed a budgeted $62 Million for 'external experts and specialist advisors' in the 2008-2009 fiscal year.  Of this figure, $45 million is earmarked ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732572 Tue, 20 May 2008 06:00:00 EST The Vanishing Jury 16 June 2008  No, it is not a John Grisham novel.  It is the upshot of higher court rulings in New Zealand today.    Civil jury trials have, for all practical purposes, been done away with in New Zealand.  The last known case of trial by jury was Menzies v Attorney General (CIV2002 418 00005) in late 2004.  The shift away from juries has occurred without any law change.  Rather, it has evolved quietly, by judicial ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732573 Sat, 14 Jun 2008 13:00:00 EST New Zealand Solicitor General Testifies No Unlawful Orders Occur in New Zealand 18 June 2008 Testifying before a two judge panel in the Auckland High Court contempt trial of Vince Siemer on Monday, Solicitor General David Collins was not pleased.  His terse answers revealed much about the man, as well as his motivation in bringing the contempt action against Mr Siemer for operating this website.  Mr Collins has alleged that comments relating to Mr Stiassny on ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732574 Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:00:00 EST NOT ON MY WATCH 25 June 2008 Former Police Prosecutor Grace Haden is making a name for herself as a private investigator and it may prove more valuable to society than her former police role.  In the process she is learning quite a lot first hand and up close regarding the inner workings of the civil justice system.  It is fair to say that it is not all pleasant and, at times, disturbing.  Perhaps the biggest adjustment for Mrs. Haden is that she now ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732575 Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:00:00 EST ROYAL COMMISSION OF PAIN 23 July 2008  This year is proving to be an inauspicious one for the Auckland City Council and its well-paid allies (read 'contractors').  The Royal Commission of Inquiry looking into governance practices by local Councils was, only a year ago, expected to be a mere formality designed to show the public that politicians and bureaucrats were not asleep at the switch when it came to the efficient spending of the public's hard-earned ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732576 Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:00:00 EST DAVID COLLINS BEING CRIMINALLY INVESTIGATED BY NEW ZEALAND POLICE Dateline:25 August 2008; updated 1 September 2008 The New Zealand Police confirmed to kiwisfirst this week they are investigating New Zealand Solicitor General David Collins for criminal conduct under s111 of the Crimes Act, namely making a false declaration to the High Court in May ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732582 Mon, 01 Sep 2008 06:00:00 EST Bill Wilson's Private Appointment to Supreme Court a Lesson to Public 4 September 2008  "Friends of Bill W" is taking on a new meaning after the meteoric rise of Bill Wilson to the New Zealand Supreme Court bench this year.    Less than two years ago, Mr Wilson QC was sitting in his law office trying to figure out where his next paying client was coming from.  Not that Wilson needed the money.  His Rich ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732583 Wed, 03 Sep 2008 06:00:00 EST SOLICITOR GENERAL COLLINS MOCKS FAIR TRIALS AND PUBLIC RIGHT TO KNOW 16 September 2008 The first day of the Solicitor General's prosecution of the Dominion Post and its editor Tim Pankhurst for contempt in the Wellington High Court brought a moralizing sermon from the S-G himself.  David Collins decided to personally prosecute the Dominion Post's for publication ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732588 Mon, 15 Sep 2008 06:00:00 EST POLICE ON VERGE OF SECOND ENQUIRY INTO DAVID COLLINS 29 September 2008  A new police complaint against embattled New Zealand Solicitor General David Collins is being explored in relation to Mr Collins' recent attempts to prevent evidence of Judicial conflict of interest by current New Zealand Supreme Court Justice Bill Wilson from being brought before the Court.  Last year, Judge Wilson failed to ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732589 Sun, 28 Sep 2008 06:00:00 EST JUDGE COOPER'S RACIST INVECTIVE TAINTS HIGH COURT RULING   1 January 2008 Under cover of the Christmas Holiday, Auckland High Court Judge Mark Cooper (right) ruled that kiwisfirst editor Vince Siemer had defamed Auckland ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732609 Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 EST TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL INVISIBLE IN NEW ZEALAND 12 February 2009 In a 9 square metre closet next to the elevator shaft on the fourth floor of a former department store in Wellington resides an eight year old 'autonomous chapter' of the Berlin based http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732616 Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:00:00 EST WHAT’S WORSE THAN BEATING A DEAD HORSE? 5 March 2009 Three  years  ago  former New Zealand police prosecutor and current private investigator Grace Haden, operating on a tip, questioned the subsistence of the Animal  Welfare  Institute  of  New  Zealand  (AWINZ ).  It was disclosed to Ms Haden that AWINZ was paid handsomely to lend its name to the movie credits of Lord of the Rings, attesting that no animals were harmed in ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732623 Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST ASHER LATEST JUDGE TO CONTRAVENE PUBLIC RECORDS ACT 2005   8 March 2009 Auckland High Court Judge Raynor Asher (pictured left in a 10 year old photo) has refused to provide a record of proceedings involving public watchdog Penny ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732624 Sat, 07 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST VECTOR TO SELL ASSETS TO PAY DOWN DEBT 19 April 2008 Vector is currently in a race to sell off its 'gold plated' Wellington to Auckland transmission lines to pay down its burgeoning debt.  The only purchase interest in this strategic infrastructure appears to be coming from off-shore.  Australian and Chinese investors have reported to be in the running.  Potential buyers have asked for more time to evaluate the investment prospect, effectively extending ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732568 Thu, 17 Apr 2008 06:00:00 EST SHORT-HANDED SUPREME COURT TO HEAR BILL OF RIGHTS APPEAL 23 November 2009 A landmark case to define the rights of those accused of contempt, as well as legal limits on freedom of expression, is set for a two day hearing before the New Zealand Supreme Court on 9 December 2009.     Siemer v Solicitor General SC48/2009 will test ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732710 Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST NEW ZEALAND SUPREME COURT LEGALISES DISCOVERY EVASION 21 May 2009  The New Zealand Supreme Court has dismissed a legal challenge to a 2004 Court rule change which exempts parties to litigation from discovery disclosure.  The full bench ruling SC 62/2008 [2008] NZSC 98 and 24 February 2009 (unpublished) endorsed the effect of this new rule allowing parties to avoid identifying their discovery documents.     http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732713 Thu, 21 May 2009 00:00:00 EST Oops, HE DID IT AGAIN 8 June 2009  Now that the David Bain murder retrial has ended in the fashion those most informed with the case suspected, recriminations for the public waste of $4 million and valuable court resources have begun.  As with the 'Tuhoe terrorist' prosecution debacle in October 2007 and the Gwaze murder trial in May ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732750 Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EST NEW ZEALAND SUPREME COURT GUTS JUDGE DISCLOSURE LAW 6 July 2009 In an unprecedented judgment from the New Zealand Supreme Court Friday, the full court declared New Zealand Judges are not required to disclose their personal and business relationships with those who appear before them if it is not evident the Judges stand to personally ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732756 Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EST DRIVEN TO DESPAIR 10 August 2009 It is a nightmare from which she cannot awaken.  When her husband died in January 1985, Southlander Nancy Trevathan's grief was softened by a caring lawyer who would assist her in the legalities of the estate.  There were assets to sort out, but there were bills as well.  Two properties needed to be maintained through the process.  What followed was ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732764 Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION FOLDS UNDER CROWN LAW PRESSURE 10 August 2009   The Soviet dissident Alexandre Solzenitsyn once spoke of the Russian people "We did not care enough about freedom.  In the end we got what we deserved."  It is an ominous warning for New Zealanders since we lost the right to appeal to the Privy Council.  This was made all the more evident last week after the New Zealand Human Rights Commission bowed to Crown Law and Supreme ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732765 Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST COURT OF APPEAL PRESIDENT'S ' QUID PRO QUO' WITH VECTOR CHAIRMAN DISHONOURS COURT 15 September 2009 Add one more reason to why power bills are skyrocketing.  A well-placed source has come forward with information that Court of Appeal President William Young (pictured) took what ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732776 Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST MADMEN AT CROWN TAKE THRONE 12 October 2009 This is foremost a story of widespread breach of public trust and abuse of office by the head of Crown Law in New Zealand.  While far from a unique story of officials in power, the evidence in Solicitor General David Collins' case displays a pattern of criminal behavior over many years.  Two thoughts ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732784 Sun, 11 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST SHORT-HANDED SUPREME COURT TO HEAR BILL OF RIGHTS APPEAL 23 November 2009 A landmark case to define the rights of those accused of contempt, as well as legal limits on freedom of expression, is set for a two day hearing before the New Zealand Supreme Court on 9 December 2009.     Siemer v Solicitor General SC48/2009 will test ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732805 Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST   HORSE THIEVERY 17 December 2009  It has been a running joke for years that the top qualification for judge in New Zealand is to own racehorses.  But it is no longer a laughing matter.   The incest and patronage which dominates  the New Zealand Court is making a travesty of the entire justice system since it has been exposed http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732809 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST HIGH COURT THROWS OUT SEARCH WARRANTS IN "TERRORIST" RAIDS 17 September 2009 In a monumental Court decision, Judge Helen Winkelmann of the Auckland High Court last week threw out 6 of the 9 land search warrants authorised by the Court in the "Tuhoe Terrorist" ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732777 Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST FINLAYSON'S FOLLY 9 November 2009  Even for the dicey New Zealand legal community, the current chicanery surrounding the recall of Supreme Court Judge Bill Wilson's decision in Saxmere v the Wool Board for failure to disclose a conflict of interest is getting, as Alice would say, "curiouser and curiouser".    This ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732792 Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST "SICK TO HER STOMACH" 30 August 2010 According to the evidence of retired Court of Appeal Justice Sir Edmund Thomas, Supreme Court Chief Justice Sian Elias (pictured) was "sick to her stomach" when she found out on 20 July 2009 that deceit by her fellow Supreme Court Justice ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732851 Sun, 29 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EST TAXPAYERS FUND HERALD INTERVIEWS 29 October 2010 The question of what might have been is a hot topic among the legal fraternity when it comes to Supreme Court Justice Bill Wilson resigning in disgrace last week.  Could he have weathered the storm?  Was justice denied when his resignation put a halt on the inquiry into his judicial conduct?   It is a moot ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732853 Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EST CONVICTED FRAUDSTER HEADS NEW ZEALAND LAW SOCIETY 29 October 2010 A former District Court Judge convicted of 8 charges of fraud has been appointed to the Complaints Committee of the New Zealand Law Society.  Mr Robert Hesketh (pictured) fled the bench and was struck off as a lawyer after his 1997 criminal conviction.  He will ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732854 Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EST null http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732857 Sat, 06 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST “ATTEMPTED MURDER” CRIES QUEEN’S COUNSEL 17 November 2010 New Zealand author and provocateur Greg Hallett was in the Auckland High Court yesterday seeking an appeal of a $140,000 District Court judgment against him issued last month in a defamation claim brought by criminal defence barrister Peter Williams QC last year.  The claim was filed after Williams took exception to Hallett’s book New Zealand ? a Blackmailer’s ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732858 Wed, 17 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST WIFE OF NZ RICHLISTER SEEKS LEGAL AID 18 November 2010  A bitter divorce in what could be New Zealand’s richest family has resulted in the estranged wife, Elizabeth Black Goodfellow, filing for legal aid after being unable to personally pay the $270,000+ in legal costs she has incurred to date.   ‘Libby’ Black has been separated from National Party President Peter Goodfellow since early 2009.  Together with his father Douglas ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732859 Thu, 18 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST NEW ZEALAND COURT OF APPEAL EXPANDS POLICE POWERS 27 November 2010  The Court of Appeal last week overturned a High Court ruling, significantly liberalising Police powers for search.  As part of the ruling, the Court of Appeal has ordered the public be kept in the dark, but the full judgment is available to lawyers on legal search engines such as Lexis Nexis.   http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732860 Sat, 27 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST JUDGE OR BE JUDGED 10 December 2010  Chief High Court Judge Helen Winkelmann (pictured) ordered yesterday that the "Urewera terrorist" prosecution (R v Bailey) against 15 accused will be by judge alone trial.  The landmark ruling was sought on application by the Crown and had been opposed by the accused.     http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732861 Fri, 10 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST UNITED NATIONS CONCERNS REVEALED 13 December 2010 Virtually nonexistent 5 years ago, the number of United Nations Complaints against New Zealand for human rights violations has skyrocketed to thirty today.  The news coincides with "alarming" news that 4% of New Zealanders surveyed admitted to paying a bribe in the last year; compared to 2% of ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732862 Sun, 12 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST BERRYMANS SETTLE FOR $150,000 17 December 2010  Keith and Margaret Berryman have accepted a settlement offer of $150,000 from the Attorney General after a 15 year struggle for justice against the NZ Army.  The offer was apparently made last year and the Berryman's were given 48 hours to accept it.  The settlement notably did not include any costs for their lawyer, Dr Rob Moodie, who fought fiercely for 10 years in the Courts - and embarrassed the NZ government ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732863 Fri, 17 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST STACKED JUSTICE 9 February 2011  There is increasing pressure by human rights advocates for the New Zealand Court of Appeal President to cease "stacking" benches for hearings.  This follows recent UNHRC minutes admonishing the practice on the heels of recent revelations that erstwhile Supreme Court Justice Bill Wilson dispensed judicial favours benefitting his business partner, ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732867 Wed, 09 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST GUNNING FOR VENNING 22 February 2011 Some of New Zealand's wealthiest investors have targeted Auckland High Court Justice Geoffrey Venning (pictured) for acting in a conflict of interest and violating statutory law which limits judges holding other office or paid employment.  Tax lawyer Garry Muir, his former legal partner Clive Bradbury and Auckland businessman http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732868 Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST WILL NZ JUDGES OBEY THE LAW? 23 March 2011 Since New Zealand lost the Privy Council, there has been a steady erosion of the very few laws governing judges.  Laws not yet declared void by the Courts on the basis they constitute an affront to judicial independence are simply being ignored.    Dr Kennedy Graham's introduction of a private ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732874 Thu, 24 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EST ALL IN THE FAMILY 30 March 2011 Suppose you awoke one day to find that by executive decree all but a couple of the 122 Members of Parliament were to be white Anglican, horse breeding lawyers who mix in the same tight social circles and whose priority is security of their possessions.  If after they met the new Members passed a multitude of laws ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732875 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EST LOSING THE PLOT 12 April 2011 The Urewera 18 have applied to the Supreme Court against the Court of Appeal's rejection of their right to trial by jury.  Citing no right to appeal interlocutory judgments ahead of trial, the Crown prosecution opposes the Supreme Court considering the matter until at least after the scheduled trial in August, if at all.     In what is already the most expensive prosecution to taxpayers in New Zealand's ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732878 Mon, 11 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EST SUPREME COURT BUILDING WORSE FOR WEAR - AND EXPENSE 11 April 2011  The weathered exterior and grimy interior belie the age of the New Zealand Supreme Court building at Ballance and Lambton Quay in Wellington.  The intricate bronze outer lattice which quickly prompted the building's nickname 'birds nest' is already resembling an actual birds ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732879 Mon, 11 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EST POLICE CONCEDED MOST EXPENSIVE PROSECUTION IN HISTORY IS LIKELY TO RESULT ONLY IN FINES 9 May 2011 In a Wikileaks disclosure posted on 28 April 2011, it is revealed at cable “7” that ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732882 Mon, 09 May 2011 00:00:00 EST HOW NZ COURT OF APPEAL SELLS JUSTICE 1 June 2009  Wellington man Benjamin Easton spends most of his days helping others to appeal unjust decisions by New Zealand Judges, researching law and observing the workings of Parliament from the gallery.  He calls himself “the Political Busker.”  He lives off an unemployment benefit and support of a few friends as he works tirelessly at exposing, and attempting to correct, the injustices which, in some ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732718 Sat, 30 May 2009 00:00:00 EST IS JUDGE LANCE'S 15 YEAR OFFENDING SPREE OVER? 8 September 2009  The proven extortionist was acquitted, allowed to keep his law license and given permanent name suppression by New Zealand Judge Michael Lance QC.   The Deputy Solicitor-General refused a formal Official Information Act request for the investigation ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732771 Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST CROWN TO PERSECUTE WHERE LAW PREVENTS PROSECUTION 18 December 2010 Urewera raid defendants are lining up to appeal Auckland High Court Justice Helen Winkelmann's Judgment that potential jurors would use "improper reasoning processes" and, therefore, a judge-alone trial is necessary when trying the fifteen defendants.  It is understood most of the defendants ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732864 Fri, 17 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST WAIT A 'MINUTE' 12 March 2011  A disturbing practice has emerged to become relatively common in the New Zealand courts; the practice of Judges issuing unreported "Minutes" to effectively decide proceedings.  Well-established law mandates Courts issue judgments when dealing with legal and factual disputes which fundamentally impact the progress of a court proceeding.  This serves to provide ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732871 Fri, 11 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EST POOR NZ JUDGMENTS RESULT OF POOR SKILLS 5 June 2011 "What sort of madness has infected our legal system when what would be misconduct for a barrister becomes routine - and consequence free - for a judge?" -A. Molloy Q.C. As civil litigants increasingly avoid the Courts, and embarrassing judicial decisions in criminal cases are more visibly being ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732886 Tue, 07 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EST DISHONOUR PROVED 12 June 2011 Judge Michael Lance QC (pictured) is claiming "complete vindication" after his mate, Judge Kevin Phillips, granted him $8,000 costs against the Police last week. This follows the failed prosecution last year of former deputy commissioner of the police complaints authority Lance for wilful damage in scratching a Volkswagon with his keys. The car had ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732887 Sat, 11 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EST A PUBLIC PROTEST AWAY FROM TYRANNY THE OPERATION 8 SAGA What exactly occurred in the Urewera forest in 2006-2007 which resulted in mass police raids, arrests and seizures from Northland to Christchurch and Palmerston North to Ruatoki? 18 June 2011 Fear of terrorism gripped New Zealand with a vengeance on 15 ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732888 Sat, 18 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EST NZ HAS CORRUPT FREE COURTS - survey says 12 July 2011 The latest edition of the New Zealand Law Society's newsletter Law Talk trumpets New Zealand Courts third place ranking in the recent survey of the World Justice Project, behind Norway ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732892 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EST TRUE FICTION 7 August 2011 New Zealand judges naturally put aside bias toward business partners and family who appear before them. Judicial oversight threatens the independence NZ judges require to act appropriately. Laws which require judges divulge their pecuniary interests effectively compromise their security. Citizens can be imprisoned simply on submissions of Crown counsel. The law is that civil trial by jury only exists in New Zealand if a judge grants ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732893 Sat, 06 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EST JUDGE SIMON SAYS, "GO TO PRISON" 3 September 2011 Judges Simon France and MacKenzie created a new category for imprisonment in New Zealand yesterday - media publishers who deliberately breach court suppression orders, where the court http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732901 Sat, 03 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EST 24 September 2011 by Penny Bright If there are two groups of people who citizens should expect to follow the 'RULE OF LAW' - then surely they are the plice and judges. As the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, "Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732903 Sat, 24 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EST INTERVIEW WITH A RENOWN EXPERT ON THE SUBJECT OF JUDICIAL IMMUNITY IN THE WAKE OF THE NEW ZEALAND SUPREME COURT RULING THAT JUDGES ARE EXEMPT FROM BILL OF RIGHTS ENFORCEMENT 7 October 2011 Professor Abimbola Olowofoyeku is Director of the Centre for International and Public Law at Brunel University in London and former head of its Law School, as well as member of the Advisory Board for International Journal of Law and Management. His ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732905 Fri, 07 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EST RIP VAN WINKELMANN 28 October 2011 It is hard to imagine a judge more asleep at the switch than Helen Winkelmann (pictured). As the Chief High Court Judge who has accurately identified that courtrooms around New Zealand are sporting more cobwebs these days than ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732907 Fri, 28 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EST DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN New Zealand's Highest Court Institutionalises Secret Rulings denying Due Process that were deemed Unlawful in 2003 22 November 2011 One of the most unsettling days in New Zealand jurisprudence must be when the Privy Council determined in the 2003 Taito appeal that New Zealand Court of Appeal judges (the nation's highest court at the time) had been systematically denying due process rights to appellants by ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732908 Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST COURT TRANSCRIPTS TOO PRECIOUS TO SHARE WITH PARTIES 30 November 2011 In a twist on the old Benjamin Franklin saying “Three can keep a secret if two are dead”, New Zealand Court of Appeal judges have implemented a policy that a hearing transcript is not to be provided to parties considering appealing to the Supreme Court unless the Supreme Court requires it be produced. In turn, the Supreme Court rarely does so, having http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732909 Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST FRAUDER IN THE COURT 6 December 2011 The New Zealand Supreme Court is again in the spotlight for the wrong reasons, after misrepresenting a judgment and then issuing a " press release" ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732911 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST CHAMBERS MADE TO SUPREME COURT 26 December 2011 Court of Appeal Judge Robert Chambers has been promoted to the Supreme Court, it was announced last week. Robert Chambers has had a long and chequered tenure on the Court of Appeal, where his arrogance frequently got in the way of lawful rulings. He is however regarded as a capable lawyer whose legal skills place him a notch above ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732913 Mon, 26 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST PARLIAMENT SLAMMED BY JUDGE FOR UNDERFUNDING PUBLIC WATCHDOG 26 December 2011 In an unprecedented ruling, two days before Christmas, Auckland High Court Judge Timothy Brewer condemned Parliament in an 18-page judgment which concluded Judicial Conduct ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732915 Tue, 27 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST NZ COURTS STILL SECRET BUT CORRUPTION LESS ACCEPTED 16 January 2012 In a High Court ruling which hopefully signals a trend away from protecting powerful lawyers engaged in criminal enterprises, Justice Timothy Brewer recently dismissed a ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732916 Sun, 15 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST SPINNING THE WEBB  - HOW THE LEGAL COMPLAINTS REVIEW OFFICER COVERS UP CORRUPTION 18 February 2010 The Lawyers and Conyancers Act 2006 replaced the Lay Observer in favour of a new Crown position of "Legal Complaints Review Officer".  Parliament decreed the position was not to be held by a lawyer.  This was to ensure the public an unbiased review of their complaints against lawyers to the New Zealand Law Society.  Still, the ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732820 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST BLACK ROBES, WHITE LIES 31 March 2011  Okay, Justice Hammond ruled in yesterday's record $920,000 Court of Appeal ruling against kiwisfirst publisher Vince Siemer, "We have not had our attention drawn to any worse ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732877 Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EST DISREGARD FOR BASIC LAW FOSTERS BROAD JUDICIAL DISCRETION 21 August 2011 In December of last year, Chief High Court Justice Helen Winkelmann issued a secret order denying the 18 accused in the Operation 8 prosecutions their statutory right to trial by jury. Mere ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732898 Sun, 21 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EST CRISIS IN SUPREME COURT OVER OPERATION 8 APPEALS 29 August 2011 Despite the shroud of secrecy which has pervaded most of it, the four year prosecution of eighteen NZ citizens in what began as a terrorist dragnet in October 2007 has publicly taken on the appearance of a Chinese fire drill in the courts. The chaotic and protracted proceedings have, by ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732899 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EST LOSS OF HONOUR   11 April 2009    (4 minute read) In the wake of World War II, American Justice Robert Jackson famously reflected "It is not the function of Government to keep the citizen from falling into error; it is the function of the citizen to keep the Government from falling into error."  This was not considered a revelation so much as a reminder.  For example, ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732691 Wed, 08 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EST NEW ZEALAND LEGAL AID IS AN ASS 14 April 2011  The Government announced this week that the legal aid budget will be drastically cut and a new income limit of $22,000 annually means people earning below the minimum wage may not qualify.   In addition, people are being discouraged from applying for legal aid, with a new $100 fee charged ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732880 Thu, 14 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EST CONDUCT COMMISSIONER CHOKE CHAINED 12 December 2011 Business is good at the Office of the Judicial Conduct Commissioner. Too good according to many judges. As complaints of misconduct against judges soar, and the queue of backlogged complaints exceeds 3 years, judges in the incestuous NZ judicial community fear Commissioner Sir David Gascoigne will respond appropriately, maybe even publicly. It was not only the severity and weight of judicial ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732914 Mon, 26 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST WILLYWOOD 31 May 2011 The resurrection tour of disgraced Supreme Court Justice Bill Wilson (pictured) swings back into action with an interview scheduled to run on TVNZ's weekly Court Report program 16 June. Despite the actual interview not scheduled ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732884 Mon, 30 May 2011 00:00:00 EST WHISTLE-BLOWING GREATER CRIME THAN NEGLIGENT HOMICIDE ACCORDING TO NZ JUDGES 21 March 2009 How out of touch are New Zealand Judges?  Consider the contrasting cases of the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre tragedy resulting in the deaths of 7 people against three recent cases of whistle-blowing by conscientious New Zealand citizens.   Yesterday, an Auckland District ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732681 Sat, 21 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST IAN HAYNES RESIGNS AS JUDICIAL CONDUCT COMMISSIONER Breaking news - 20 July 2009 The New Zealand Judicial Conduct Commissioner Ian Haynes abruptly resigned last week after 4 years in the post.  Mr Haynes was appointed the country's first Judicial Conduct Commissioner for a three year term in 2005, but stayed on after his term expired.  His resignation comes as a ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732761 Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EST CHIEF HIGH COURT JUDGE RETALIATES 6 November 2010 In a case for the annuls it has surfaced that Chief High Court Justice Anthony Randerson (pictured) conducted his own investigation in 2009 and recommended the New Zealand Law Society consider "disciplinary action" against two Auckland barristers.  The case is unique because judges are not empowered to conduct ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732856 Sat, 06 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL NEW ZEALAND ORDERS ARREST OF ANTI-CORRUPTION ADVOCATE 11 December 2009  In a stinging irony - on United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day no less - Chairman Gerald McGhie of Transparency International's "autonomous" New Zealand chapter ordered Police to arrest public watchdog Penny Bright for ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732808 Fri, 11 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST THE PURGE OF INCONVENIENT LAW 20 April 2011  The denial of trial by jury to the eighteen Operation 8 defendants by judicial decree is now before the New Zealand Supreme Court.  Though the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act, Judicature Act and Crimes Act all exhort the right to elect trial by jury, do not hold your breath that the Supreme Court will uphold the law and reverse the lower court decisions.     http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732881 Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EST DELAYS BY JUDICIAL CONDUCT COMMISSIONER SUBJECT OF COURT CHALLENGE 7 June 2011 Barrister Francisc Deliu has filed a claim in the Auckland High Court against the Office of the Judicial Conduct Commissioner, seeking writs of mandamus directing the JCC to address a complaint against District Court Judge David Harvey (pictured) filed more than a year ago and the District Court to produce the court transcript which Mr Deliu says supports his allegations of judicial ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732885 Tue, 07 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EST THE SCOURGE OF DEFAMATION 3 October 2011 Defamation has apparently become so bad in New Zealand that judges have implemented an “express lane” for the courts to deal with it. Presumptions of the court now generally rest with the plaintiffs (influential figures are almost exclusively the consumers of such claims) and judges often warn defendants at first appearance that their legal fate is by their own hands. Where once defamation was ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732904 Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EST PERVERSE PIMPERNEL Inequal justice unmasked in New Zealand - A kiwisfirst exclusive Guess which of these two women was criminally convicted while the other one was given an "invitation" to correct her offending for the exact same offence? 19 December 2011 If the public ever sought a benevolent dictator to make the important decisions affecting their ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732912 Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST GLEESON UPSTAGED BY NEW JUDICIAL CONDUCT COMMISSIONER MANEUVERING 21 February 2010   The maneuvering behind the scenes in the drawn out Judge Bill Wilson scandal seems as frenetic as the cloak of secrecy over the actual investigation is thick.  Now, ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732823 Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST DEMAND ON HIGH COURT JUDGE TO RESIGN INTENSIFIES 24 March 2011 It has come to light in a restatement of a complaint to the Judicial Conduct Commissioner last month that Auckland High Court Judge Geoffrey Venning persisted in breaching laws governing conflict of interest disclosure and failed to disclose his active involvement in a forest tax avoidance scheme to the Chief High ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732873 Thu, 24 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EST WORLD JUSTICE PROJECT CONCEDES ROOM FOR SURVEY IMPROVEMENT AFTER NEW ZEALAND’S HIGH RATING 8 August 2011 New Zealand’s first year participation in the World Justice Project’s annual survey has disclosed concerns for the organisation's “Rule of Law Index” after New Zealand gave itself high marks ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732894 Sat, 06 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EST Legal Complaints Review Office, a Scam Against NZ Taxpayers 15 August 2011 When the Legal Complaints Review Office was first introduced in 2007 it seemed an idea whose time had come - a lay oversight body to review misconduct decisions by the New Zealand Law Society against lawyers. The move was prompted, in part, by a New Zealand Herald article about lawyer overcharging which drew a massive public response. http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732897 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EST WHEN THE LAW IS NOT THE LAW 12 October 2011 In the 86 page ruling in Attorney General v Chapman, a majority of the Supreme Court last month declared acts by judicial officers are exempt from New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 enforcement or remedies. Mervyn Chapman had sued the ... http://www.kiwisfirst.com/news.asp?pageID=2145848073&RefID=2141732906 Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EST