Unprejudiced
Monday, August 25th, 2008Some defence lawyers have been getting their knickers in a knot about reporting on the Veitch case in yesterday’s Sunday Star-Times and Herald on Sunday. Can’t say I share their concerns. Certainly, now that charges have been laid, publishing material that tends to create a real risk of prejudice to Veitch’s trial will be a contempt […]
Hooten boasts of flouting the law
Sunday, August 24th, 2008I guess you have to admire Matthew Hooten’s honesty for admitting that, as a Beehive staffer, he’s advised departments to breach the Official Information Act. And I don’t doubt that this government does the same thing. But I find this high-fiving about it pretty sickening: As a Beehive staffer in the 1990s, I regularly “suggested” that […]
It’s defiance, Susan, but not as we know it
Sunday, August 24th, 2008Huh? Here’s Susan Pepperell’s lead in today’s Star-Times story about the Sensible Sentencing Trust’s plan to “defy” the Electoral Finance Act: Lobby group the Sensible Sentencing Trust is planning to defy the Electoral Finance Act in the lead-up to the general election. Its evidence that this will be an act of defiance? Read on: McVicar said […]
It’s censorship, John, but not as we know it
Friday, August 15th, 2008Poor John Boscowan. He’s been censored. I know this, because he’s got “censored” written across his full-page Sunday Star-Times ad opposing the Electoral Finance Act. Yes, apart from being one of the few people in the country able to afford to express his views in 850 words in a full-page ad in one of the […]
Keeping abreast of legal issues
Friday, August 15th, 2008Dean Knight and I have been debating one of the finer points of the Bill of Rights Act. We’ve been talking about how it might apply to the proposed boobs-on-bikes parade. (I gather an injunction application is being argued as I type). The question relates to Bob McCoskrie’s [corrected spelling courtesy of Robyn: see comments] claim that the […]
Dollar votes?
Friday, August 15th, 2008Russell Brown is pointing out that TV3’s election website is flogging profile pages to candidates at $299 a pop. There’s no indication on the profile pages themselves that the MPs have to pay for them (though there is a “purchase page” tab on the main page that might clue readers in). They’re also charging $399 for […]
Auckland Council boob-oo?
Friday, August 15th, 2008Can the new Auckland Council bylaw requiring permits for (among other things) “any organised temporary activity including an organised gathering, parade, protest…” on public streets possibly be lawful? Administrative law expert Dean Knight doesn’t think so. His terrific analysis concludes: I am very confident in saying that, to the extent that the bylaw requires citizens […]
Upcoming privacy forum
Wednesday, August 13th, 2008If you’re interested in privacy, you might like to register for the Privacy Commissioner’s Privacy Issues Forum, to be held in Wellington on 27 August. The programme includes a keynote speech from the Commissioner herself and a presentation on the Law Commission’s work on privacy by Sir Geoffery Palmer and John Burrows QC, as well […]
But is it privacy?
Wednesday, August 13th, 2008The Evening Standard has printed an apology for falsely reporting that Prince Philip was suffering from prostate cancer: We now accept that the story was untrue and that he is not suffering from any such condition. We unreservedly apologise both to him and to his family for making this distressing allegation and for breaching his […]
When half a quote isn’t better than none
Thursday, August 7th, 2008You might have spotted my star turn on One News last night. It was part of a story about National referring the taped-conversations affair (“CocktailGate”?) to the police. Might there have been a crime? Here’s the quote One News used from me, suggesting that I told them that the recording “may have broken the law”: If […]
« Previous Entries Next Entries »