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The Christchurch Civic
Creche Case |
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Radio NZ loses Ellis apology appeal Wellington: Radio New Zealand has
lost an appeal against a Broadcasting Standards Authority ruling that it
apologise to convicted child molester Peter Ellis. Radio NZ appealed against the
ruling saying an apology was a voluntary expression of contrition and to be
ordered to say sorry, when it was not, amounted to dishonesty. The order for an apology and
publication of a summary of the authority’s decision in four major daily
newspapers was the result of finding that National Radio’s Nine to Noon
programme in August 2003 was not fair and balanced. The programme aired an interview
in which a man made new allegations against Mr Ellis. The authority ordered not only the
apology and published summaries, but that Radio NZ pay $5300 costs to Mr
Ellis and $5000 to the Crown. Radio NZ accepted the story lacked
fairness and balance but objected to the order to say sorry. However, Justice Randerson and
Justice Miller disagreed that there was “something abhorrent” about ordering
a broadcaster to apologise. “As an expression of contrition, an apology
is also remedial in nature, and a natural consequence of findings of that
kind.” Mr Ellis’ lawyer Judith
Ablett-Kerr earlier said Radio NZ was acting like a child in a playground
refusing to say sorry. She said it should be prepared acknowledge it was
wrong. |
