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The
Christchurch Civic Creche Case |
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A retired judge is
calling for an independent body to be set up to stop, he says, innocent
people being kept in jail. Sir Thomas Thorp says
going on British figures, there could be up to 20 people wrongly held in New
Zealand prisons. It's 10 years since
Thorp retired from the high court bench, but he's been a busy man since then, The government asked
him to inquire into the case of Peter Ellis, who served seven years after
being convicted of sexually abusing children at the Christchurch Civic
Creche. The judge had concerns
about the safety of Ellis's conviction, but nothing happened. The case sparked
Thorp's interest in possible miscarriages of justice and ultimately this
report and there are plenty of examples. Among other cases,
David Dougherty's conviction for raping an 11-year-old was quashed on the
basis of DNA evidence after he'd served four years. Former Police
Superintendent Alec Waugh had his conviction for making fraudulent expenses
claims quashed. He was compensated and re-instated to the police. Top Auckland barrister,
Paul Davison, believes there probably are people behind bars who shouldn't be
there and says he supports the establishment of an independent body to
investigate such cases. One News was unable to
contact Justice Minister Mark Burton for government reaction. However, it's
worth noting a parliamentary select committee has also recommended the
government set up a body look into possible miscarriages of justice. |
