15 June 19991

Media release

High Court rules in favour of Crown in important test case

The High Court has dismissed the case of a Nelson student seeking a review of the decision which refused him a community wage during the Christmas holidays and an order declaring that a direction of the Minister under the Social Security Act 1964 was invalid.

The challenge was seen as a test case between Cameron Tyler a Nelson Polytechnic student and the Attorney General as first defendant and the Minister of Social Services, Work and Income, Roger Sowry, as second defendant.

Tyler sought to overturn the Minister's directive relating to student applicants for the community wage, together with the decision to refuse the plaintiff a community wage.

The Minister has welcomed the judgement from Justice Gallen saying in essence it confirms the legal standing of the Ministerial directive and rejects any arguments of discrimination in the legislation in respect of students applying for the community wage.

Justice Gallen concludes his 22 page judgement with, "in spite of the persuasive arguments of the plaintiff's counsel, I do not consider this application can succeed and it must be dismissed."

ENDS

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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>>