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Otago Daily Times
February 4, 2000
Counsel for Ellis meets with Goff
NZPA
Wellington: Justice Minister Phil Goff yesterday heard
the views of counsel for convicted child abuser Peter Ellis but said he would
wait for advice from officials before deciding whether an inquiry into the
case should go ahead.
Mr Goff said he found it useful to hear the views of Ellis' lawyer, Judith
Ablett Kerr QC, who had asked for the meeting.
"Those views are taken on board just as the views of other people who
have written to me about this matter," Mr Goff told reporters.
Mrs Ablett Kerr said she was happy with the meeting and was looking to see
what options the Ministry of Justice suggested regarding an inquiry into the
case.
Ellis (41) was freed from prison on Wednesday after serving two-thirds of a
10-year sentence for 16 charges of sexually abusing seven children in his
care at Christchurch Civic Creche.
He was confident he would be freed from his conviction.
"I do believe, despite all that has happened, that in the end justice
will win and my name will be cleared because there was no abuse of children
at the Civic Creche."
He and his supporters have always protested his innocence. Doubts have
emerged about the way allegations against him arose, the way young children
were interviewed and the impartiality of his trial jury.
Mr Goff said on Wednesday the Governor-General had sought his advice on an
application for a pardon and a Royal Commission of Inquiry on behalf of
Ellis.
Mr Goff said he had concerns about the case stemming from his reading of the
Thorp report, following an inquiry conducted by former High Court judge Sir
Thomas Thorp, and last year's Court of Appeal judgement.
The Court of Appeal had recommended a commission of inquiry to investigate
aspects of the case outside its competence, he said.
He has asked the Ministry of Justice to prepare an options paper and said
yesterday he would wait for that before deciding what to do.
"At this stage there is no question of a pardon. It would be
inappropriate for a member of the executive to issue a pardon when a Court of
Appeal has twice found that, on the evidence they've looked at, there has
been no miscarriage [of justice]," he said. -
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