The Herald
June 11 2003
Goff unswayed by petition for Ellis case commission
NZPA
Justice
Minister Phil Goff says no new evidence has emerged to justify reconsideration
of the Peter Ellis case.
Ellis, freed in 2000, has maintained his innocence in the Christchurch Civic Creche child abuse case.
Now well-known New Zealanders are lending their signature for a top-level
inquiry into his conviction.
National MPs Don Brash and Katherine Rich began a petition calling for a Royal
Commission of Inquiry. They aim to gather signatures from about 100 prominent
New Zealanders.
Mr Goff said yesterday that he was unconvinced of a good reason for such an
inquiry.
"I keep and must keep an open mind on the question of the safety of the
conviction," he said.
"Before I can refer any matter back to the court, there has to be new
evidence not yet considered by the judicial system.
"So far the Peter Ellis case has been before a jury, who have determined
unanimously that he was guilty.
"It has been twice to the Court of Appeal, where seven separate Court of
Appeal judges have said there was no miscarriage of justice."
It had also been to a ministerial inquiry, he said.
Anyone who had concerns could put forward an application for a Royal
Prerogative of Mercy, he said.
That would succeed if there was new evidence.
"So far I have received no such application and no such indication of new
evidence."
Labour backbenchers David Parker, Georgina Beyer and Russell Fairbrother are understood to want to sign the petition.
But it was unlikely permission for them to do so would be granted by caucus
whip David Benson-Pope, the Dominion Post newspaper reported yesterday.
Mr Goff said individual members of Parliament would make their own judgment on
these matters.
Among the 75 reported to have signed the petition are former prime ministers
David Lange and Mike Moore, Queen's Counsels Nigel Hampton and Stuart Grieve,
law professors John Burrows, John Prebble, and Mark Henaghan, writers Keri Hulme,
Maurice Gee and Witi Ihimaera,
Dunedin Mayor Sukhi Turner and media personalities
including Listener editor Finlay Macdonald,
columnists Chris Trotter and Frank Haden, Metro founder Warwick Roger and
National Business Review publisher Barry Colman.
The petition was prompted by
- NZPA