General
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Monday, September 5th, 2011Nicky Hager’s surname is pronounced HAR-ger. You’d think people would know that by now.
Other People’s Wars
Thursday, September 1st, 2011As a few of you know, I vetted Nicky Hager’s new book, Other People’s Wars. It’s on sale now. I recommend it. Just as I found his last book, The Hollow Men, to be an education in the dark arts of political marketing, for me this one is an education our sickening suck-up to the […]
Darren Hughes’ accuser: will he be named?
Thursday, June 9th, 2011Now that the police have decided not to press charges against Darren Hughes, the obvious next question is whether his accuser can be named. For now, the answer is no. There is still an injunction in place. Someone will have to apply to court to have it lifted. Will the judge be sympathetic? I suspect […]
Unbelievable
Saturday, May 21st, 2011Some readers have wondered whether I’m exaggerating when I accuse the British press of being incapable of reporting fairly about so-called super-injunctions. Here I offer Exhibit A: today’s Guardian story about a long-awaited and fascinating report by a committee headed by the Master of the Rolls on the issue of injunctions, super-injunctions and anonymity orders. The […]
Which one is not like the others?
Monday, May 16th, 2011Famous victims of the justice system: Lindy Chamberlain, Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, the Guildford Four … and David Bain? Bain and Joe Karam are lined up to speak with these others at an international conference on justice in Perth next March. Barry Scheck from the Innocence Project will also be speaking.
Flag that
Saturday, May 7th, 2011Anyone reading today’s front-page story on the Morse flag-burning decision has every right to be confused. The paper correctly reports that the Supreme Court has found that it’s necessary to prove that offensive behaviour must give rise to a “disturbance of public order” before a conviction can be entered. But the paper reports that a […]
Journalists I like
Wednesday, May 4th, 2011I’m conscious of the fact that I often bag on journalists and media organisations. So I’ve decided to throw out the occasional bouquet too, in the interests of balance. First up: take a bow Margo White. Her recent Listener story on the Maungatautari Ecological Island reminded me what a terrific journalist she is: thorough, smart, […]
Is the BSA becoming more conservative?
Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011Broadcasters claim that our new crop of BSA members are more conservative than the last lot. They point to the decisions upholding good taste and decency complaints against Hung, Home and Away and the documentary about Aramoana. Are they right? In short: I don’t really think so. I had a quick squizz through the last […]
Media suppressing judge’s name?!
Thursday, April 28th, 2011An old mate of mine, former Fair Go editor Chris Mitson, wonders why the media aren’t naming the judge who gave Malcolm Chaston bail. After all, Chaston had 71 previous convictions and during his previous stretch in prison, a prison guard had warned of his ambitions to become a serial killer. Police reportedly opposed bail. Chaston […]
Book Review: Media Law in New Zealand
Thursday, April 28th, 2011Media Law in New Zealand John Burrows and Ursula Cheer LexisNexis New Zealand, 6ed, 2010 Reading the latest edition of this terrific text, it’s hard not to be struck by the breathtaking rate of change of New Zealand’s media law. The five years since the last edition have seen the Fairfax contempt prosecution and a […]
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