25 November 2004

Zaoui decision a victory for procedural fairness

In an important decision today both for Ahmed Zaoui, and for the rule of law in New Zealand, the Supreme Court has found that the High Court has the power to either grant bail or to vary the terms of the warrant of committal.

The Court have also underlined the importance of the Refugee Convention to which New Zealand has signed up.

The Supreme Court has also found that Mr Zaoui is entitled to the benefit of the convention because the internationally highly regarded Refugee Status Appeals Authority has found him to be a genuine refugee. The RSAA had conducted a lengthy analysis of his case.

The Supreme Court has also found that having spent over 23 months in jail that it would be “oppressive to let the process be drawn out any more and that further delay should not be countenanced.”

This decision is a victory for procedural fairness, for the rule of law, and for common sense.

The next step is that the Supreme Court will on 9 December hear further argument on the question of bail or transfer to the Mangere Refugee Centre.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>