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Otago Daily Times
Friday, 1-September 2000
Delay in inquiry `shock' to Ellis
By Fiona Hill
A six-month delay in reporting on the Peter Ellis inquiry, announced
yesterday by Justice Minister Phil Goff, was "unacceptable", Mr
Ellis' lawyer, Judith Ablett-Kerr QC, said.
She had been advised yesterday about the decision to delay the reporting date
until February 28, 2001.
Inquiry head, retired chief justice Sir Thomas Eichelbaum, was supposed to
report back yesterday.
"That delay has come as a shock to Mr Ellis and is unacceptable,"
Mrs Ablett-Kerr said.
Mr Ellis served seven years in jail, convicted of child abuse while working
at a Christchurch creche. The inquiry into his case was announced on March
10.
Mr Goff said in a statement Sir Thomas had asked for the extension to allow
the "engagement of high calibre international experts to assist the
inquiry".
It had taken "considerably longer than anticipated to arrange the legal
representation for the creche families involved", which had to be
complete before the "experts" could be appointed.
"Mr Ellis has never been advised as to which experts the inquiry will be
engaging, but he has been told he will not be permitted to comment to the
inquiry on their findings," Mrs Ablett-Kerr said.
The delay "must mean" that Sir Thomas would give Mr Ellis the right
to comment on the findings of the international experts.
Two of Mr Ellis' supporters, Winston Wealleans and Roger Keys, were also
angry about yesterday's announcement.
"They must have known this would happen for weeks, so why wait until
today to tell us?" Mr Keys asked.
Mr Wealleans said the inquiry had already been going six months, "yet
they are only now organising experts. It's not good enough by far".
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