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The Christchurch Civic
Creche Case |
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While David Bain's lawyer, Michael
Reed, QC, is thanking God for the Privy Council, other prominent lawyers are
content with the home-grown Supreme Court. But top lawyers Greg King and
Jonathan Eaton also want a new backstop, an independent commission to look at
suspected miscarriages of justice, as proposed by retired High Court judge
Sir Thomas Thorp. Mr King is trying to rally
political support for a commission along the lines of the British authority
to review criminal cases, and Mr Eaton hopes the Government will act quickly.
Mr King is content the Supreme
Court has replaced the Privy Council for Appeal Court cases concluded after
January 2004. The Privy Council has heard barely a handful of criminal
appeals from New Zealand in the past century, while the three-year-old
Supreme Court has already heard 15 full criminal appeals -- bearing out his
argument that it has improved access to justice for Kiwis. * Peter Ellis' lawyer says she
will apply within the next two weeks for leave to appeal to the Privy Council
against his convictions for child sex offences in 1993. Judith Ablett Kerr
said yesterday that she felt heartened by the Privy Council's judgment in the
Bain case. |
