The Southland Times
June 25 2003
Ellis petition presented
by David McLoughlin
Retired High Court
judge Laurie Greig said he has serious misgivings
about the Christchurch Civic Creche child abuse case
and said a full commission of inquiry was needed to answer the many questions
raised about the prosecution.
The former Justice Greig, who retired from the Bench
in 1996, is one of the 140 lawyers, politicians and other public figures to
sign a petition seeking a royal commission into the case, which saw creche worker Peter Ellis sentenced to 10 years' jail in
1993.
The petition was presented to Parliament yesterday by its organisers,
National MPs Don Brash and Katherine Rich.
Justice Greig, who was on the bench at the time of
Ellis' trial and first unsuccessful appeal, said yesterday he had not followed
the case closely at the time but became concerned after reading Dunedin author Lynley Hood's book on it, A City Possessed.
Other signatories include former prime ministers David Lange and Mike Moore,
MPs and former from all parties in Parliament, prominent lawyers such as QC George
Barton and former