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The
Christchurch Civic Creche Case |
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A complaint about the
Solicitor-General's attitude to a parliamentary select committee
recommendation on Peter Ellis's appeal has failed to get backing from the
committee's chairman. The justice and
electoral select committee recommended last month that the Attorney-General
not oppose a bid by Ellis, who was convicted in 1993 of abusing children at
the Christchurch Civic Childcare Centre, to appeal to the Privy Council The committee also
recommended legal aid be provided for the bid. Ellis's lawyer, Judith
Ablett-Kerr, QC, said yesterday that a response from the Solicitor-General
showed he intended to ignore the committee's recommendation. It was the
Solictor-General's role to advise the Attorney-General on whether a case
should proceed, she said. She said
Solicitor-General Terence Arnold had taken a "narrow and most
disturbing" approach by requiring Ellis to satisfy him that his grounds
to appeal involved a point of law of "exceptional public
importance". The committee chairman,
Christchurch Central MP Tim Barnett, said he would not expect the
Solicitor-General to have regard for the political recommendations of his
committee. However, he hoped the
Attorney-General would progress the case as it involved "clear public
dissatisfaction with the process". Ablett-Kerr said the
Solicitor-General had also indicated he would not recommend legal aid. Ellis was convicted in
1993 of sexually molesting children at the civic creche where he worked. Ellis, who has always
maintained his innocence, served two-thirds of a 10-year sentence. |
