Court Priority Misplaced

Conservative Party Leader Colin Craig is pleased police are considering an appeal against the Gisborne District Court decision that saw a sportswoman discharged without conviction on drink driving charges, and granted permanent name suppression.

“It appears the facts were not at issue here, but that the discharge was based on the offender’s personal status and occupation,” Mr Craig says.

“It’s entirely inappropriate to have a double standard when it comes to the application of the law,” he says.

“It doesn’t matter what a person’s individual status or occupation is; if they’ve been proven to have broken the law, they should be convicted.”

“The court’s priority in this case is misplaced. Justice is not about protecting the offender. It’s about protecting the general public and victims.”

“The general public were put at risk when this person broke the law, and there must be consequences for that. There certainly should have been a conviction in this case, at the minimum one for Excessive Blood Alcohol (EBA),” says Mr Craig.

“The public needs to know that the justice system will work on our behalf and not be swayed by an individual's status.”

ENDS

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"Unlawful, Unjustified And Unreasonable": Report Into Urewera Raids Finds Police Acted Unlawfully

Independent Police Conduct Authority Chair Judge Sir David Carruthers said today that the decision by the then Commissioner of Police to undertake the operation in Ruatoki Valley and elsewhere on 15 October 2007 was reasonable and justified.

“However, the road blocks established by Police at Ruatoki and Taneatua were unlawful, unjustified and unreasonable... Police had no legal basis for stopping and searching vehicles or photographing drivers or passengers,” he said...

The report also showed that the detention of the occupants at five properties examined by the Authority was unlawful and unreasonable. More>>