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The
Evening Post
December 2, 1997
Ellis pardon bid has long way to go - QC
by Neil Reid
Convicted child molester Peter Ellis will have to wait up to three months to
hear if he will be pardoned, says leading QC Peter Williams.
"In a case like that, it will take a while," Mr Williams told The
Post today.
A petition prepared by Ellis' counsel, Judith Ablett-Kerr, was yesterday
presented to Governor-General Sir Michael Hardie Boys. It will now be sent to
Justice Minister Doug Graham.
Ellis, found guilty of sexually abusing children at the Christchurch
Childcare Centre between 1986 and 1992, has served four years of a 10-year
sentence.
Mr Williams - who successfully campaigned for Arthur Allan Thomas' pardon in
the late 1970s - said there was a lot of work left for Ms Ablett-Kerr.
He said the petition would be forwarded to Ministry of Justice officials to
investigate. The process was "exhaustive".
Solicitor-General John McGrath QC last month said Mr Graham and the Cabinet
would advise the Governor-General if they felt the conviction warranted
examination.
It may then be referred to the Court of Appeal.
A spokeswoman for Mr Graham said the Minister would pass the petition to
Justice officials as soon as he received the paperwork and the process would
be "time consuming".
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