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Covert surveillance should not be allowed retrospectively

Written By: - Date published: 3:00 pm, September 27th, 2011 - 55 comments

mickysavage at Waitakere News blog  has an analysis of the legal and unconstitutional implications of the Nationals dubious plan to override the courts with poor kneejerk legislation. It is rather disturbing as the action appears to have more to do with electioneering than actual legal need.

NRT: A blank cheque

Written By: - Date published: 12:25 pm, September 24th, 2011 - 17 comments

No Right Turn points out the salient feature of National’s hysterical response to the Supreme Court’s decision on video surveillance. Reading the blank cheque that they are proposing indicates that the government has no understanding of what “the rule of law” means. It certainly does not include half-arsed measures like this.

Please stop the police from using punishment before conviction!

Written By: - Date published: 1:54 pm, September 6th, 2011 - 42 comments

The “Urewera 18” are now down to four. The police persecution has now been dropped for eleven of those charged in the Operation 8 raids four and half years ago. Crown Solicitor Simon Moore said the effect of a recent Supreme Court ruling on the case – which is suppressed – was that there was […]

London riots

Written By: - Date published: 9:19 am, August 9th, 2011 - 201 comments

There have been two nights of rioting, looting and burning in London.  The trigger was the police shooting of Mark Duggan.  But the cause is the alienation of the permanent underclass, and the stresses of the current austerity programme.

1981 Molesworth St commemoration

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 pm, July 12th, 2011 - 14 comments

I was in the middle of the scrum on Molesworth Street on the night of July 29th 1981 when marchers were batoned by the police. A front-rowers’ collective has organised a 30-year anniversary commemoration at the Loaves and Fishes for Friday 29 July, and invite others to join them for a night of reminiscing and celebrating. Tickets are $15 to cover costs. If you would like to attend contact Paul Tolich 0275 935595 or Sue Ryall 021 380 176.

Police to investigate TVNZ

Written By: - Date published: 7:23 am, July 12th, 2011 - 50 comments

Police have launched a criminal investigation in to TVNZ’s Sunday piece on Christchurch “looter” Arie Smith.  Why?

No charge

Written By: - Date published: 3:03 pm, June 8th, 2011 - 86 comments

Darren Hughes will not be charged. “After this careful consideration, the allegations do not reach the evidential threshold required to bring charges. As a result, no charges will be brought against Mr Hughes.” “Some media outlets received an anonymous letter about Mr Hughes whilst Police were investigating this complaint. I can confirm those allegations contained […]

Operation 8 documentary

Written By: - Date published: 2:48 pm, May 27th, 2011 - 17 comments

I have been bemoaning that I’d missed the Operation 8 documentary. But there are more screenings around the country. Catch a showing near you because by the sound of the current state of the court case, this will not be resolved until next year at the earliest. It has been over three and half years […]

Police planning to screw up again

Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, April 28th, 2011 - 6 comments

Morgan Godfery at Maui Street blog is reporting that the police are preparing to raid Te Whanau a Apanui for protesting against the Petrobas geological survey. The police have to be crazy to think that they can do another raid like the one in 2007. What are they looking for this time? More 0.22″ rounds?

Tilting at drugmules

Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, April 20th, 2011 - 33 comments

Rex Widerstrom has been a commentator and occassional guest poster here for a while. He has a unique point of view on the political process and its place in society. In this guest post he looks at the never ending “War on Drugs”.

Operation 8: Deep in the Forest

Written By: - Date published: 8:46 pm, April 19th, 2011 - 15 comments

Last night walking into the film screening in Auckland I was a bit apprehensive about how it would all be put together. Fortunately my fears were unfounded and the film did justice to the complex issues involved.

Appealing

Written By: - Date published: 4:47 pm, April 19th, 2011 - 3 comments

No Right Turn put up a post on the latest in the police foulup that is Operation 8.

According to Stuff, the Urewera 18 are seeking leave to appeal the decision to deny them a jury trial to the Supreme Court. Good. Trial by jury is a fundamental right

F*ck the police

Written By: - Date published: 11:17 am, April 12th, 2011 - 161 comments

Tiki Taane arrested for singing NWA’s classic ‘F*ck the police’ when there were cops at his gig. Disorderly conduct likely to incite violence, says the Old Bill. Yeah, right. Here’s how this will play out: It’ll be laughed out of court. Collins will rush through new restrictions on our rights to ‘back the police’. O’Connor will renew call for cops to be armed.

Hughes stood down

Written By: - Date published: 8:02 pm, March 24th, 2011 - 114 comments

Darren Hughes has been suspended from his shadow portfolios due to the continuing police investigation.  Goff probably should have done this earlier, despite the understandable wariness of a leader can’t punish an MP on the strength of a complaint alone. As Key did with Wong and Worth, Goff has waited until the media issue became too big.

Cuts! Cuts! Cuts!

Written By: - Date published: 12:42 pm, March 21st, 2011 - 42 comments

There was already going to be too little money in Budget 2011 for maintenance of public services. Now what little there was is being further slashed in the name of Christchurch. An Earthquake Levy is not an option, rather we’ll all pay through increased borrowing and 25% cuts in services like police, transport, justice and social services.

Pike river facts needed

Written By: - Date published: 11:58 am, January 20th, 2011 - 27 comments

The dearth of solid information on the Pike River situation and the contradictory statements from the government have naturally led to suspicion that we’re not being told the whole story. The government has been caught flat-footed by the blowback. Now, finally, the Police are going to release their technical information, allowing independent assessments.

Stop the carnage

Written By: - Date published: 10:27 am, January 7th, 2011 - 116 comments

Back to civilisation after a few days bush. First thing I see in the paper – another kid killed in a police pursuit. 20 in the last 12 months. Makes me so fucken angry. Police policy needs to change. I don’t have the answers. But these people didn’t deserve to die. 20 lives and who knows how many injured is not acceptable. Can’t be beyond us to do better. Can’t be.

Collins to Police: keep on killing

Written By: - Date published: 1:18 pm, December 7th, 2010 - 40 comments

19 dead in Police chases in 12 months. You’re more likely to be killed in a police chase than by being shot. Most of the dead were being chased for minor traffic offences. What a waste of life. Collins’ response: harsher sentences. Cause tougher sentences has brought down crime so far, eh? Nats have no ideas. The death toll mounts.

The spirit of Peterloo

Written By: - Date published: 8:57 am, December 5th, 2010 - 30 comments

David Cameron made the commendable decision to create a national happiness index to compliment GDP but there’s a lot of unhappiness in Merry Old England under his rule. To avert fiscal disaster, while allowing bankers and the elite to keep their wealth, Cameron is making savage cuts to public services. And the Police are going old school on the resulting protests.

17 dead in police chases

Written By: - Date published: 11:45 am, November 16th, 2010 - 131 comments

In the last year, 17 people have been killed in police chases. Many more injured. They might be criminals but they don’t deserve to die. Yet the Police policy – chase anything that flees – is killing them. The carnage needs to end. The human and financial cost is unbearable. But the Police are determined to continue. The government needs to step in.

Some “watchdog”

Written By: - Date published: 12:20 pm, October 24th, 2010 - 24 comments

No Right Turn asks some questions about the behaviour of the Independent Police Conduct Authority in deeming the release of information about unlawful behaviour by the Police as “not in the public interest”. There are few safeguards on the police – perhaps the main one should explain its decision in this case.

Search and Survey Our Loss of Human Rights

Written By: - Date published: 6:49 am, August 30th, 2010 - 38 comments

Strip searched by the dog-control officer, your home computer hacked by the Pork Board and the Commerce Commission putting 24-hour cameras in your bedroom. It’ll all be fine once the new Search and Surveillance Bill goes through. Oh, and you lose your right to silence. And the need for a warrant is reduced. And…

Nats fear flood of justice

Written By: - Date published: 2:31 pm, August 11th, 2010 - 14 comments

Finlayson says that paying compo to women abused by cops would “open the floodgates”. In other words, he reckons all the other claims that would come out of the woodwork would cost too much. What’s right is right. No matter the cost. ‘Floodgates’ is just an admission that the hundreds have been harmed. This government doesn’t have the guts to do right by them.

Rough Justice

Written By: - Date published: 10:28 am, July 31st, 2010 - 16 comments

The Economist has a great article looking at the American propensity to deprive their citizens of their liberty for trivial offenses. We have the same stupid political ratcheting here that causes it. A large part of that is fueled by groups like the Sensible Sentencing Trust. There needs to be a broad agreement across the political spectrum about such hysterical groups before they cause more damage.

Arming the police

Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, July 15th, 2010 - 123 comments

In the shadow of recent police shootings we are being presented with the idea of increased police access to firearms as a virtual fait accompli. I’m opposed to the proposal. It won’t make the police any safer, and it will put the public at risk.

Yet more abuse of Urgency

Written By: - Date published: 8:17 am, June 26th, 2010 - 20 comments

This week, the Government slammed through the Policing (Involvement in Local Authority Elections) Amendment Bill. It lets Police stand for local elections under the same rules as other public servants. It’s an issue that deserves to be debated. Instead, it was rushed through by this government in yet another shameful act of disregard for transparent government and active democracy.

Why you don’t give the State too much power

Written By: - Date published: 11:00 am, June 22nd, 2010 - 30 comments

The Police should never have been given the power to take DNA off anyone they arrest. It should be handled by an independent group and only on conviction. Letting the Police take DNA off anyone they arrest gives them too much incentive to bend the rules, and that seems to be happening with Police pressuring people they haven’t even arrested into giving over their DNA.

Daddy to the rescue for Slater

Written By: - Date published: 10:11 am, March 9th, 2010 - 22 comments

When things got too hot Cameron Slater called on Daddy to save him. John Slater rushes in to say to cops shouldn’t be charging his son who has been getting his 15 minutes of fame exploiting sex abuse victims. The Nats think the rules don’t apply to them (cf. Heatley, English, Bennett, Jim McClay…). The law’s for keeping the poor in line, not the rich, they reckon.

Alternate forms of protest

Written By: - Date published: 5:41 pm, March 4th, 2010 - 27 comments

Now this is pretty damn funny and just adds to todays absurdities over the waste of money on rugby world cup TV in 2011. Veteran Springbok Tour protester John Minto has found himself at the centre of a new Eden Park storm, with a controversial plan to name a nearby $3 million road after him.

Will the supercity transition authority now want to stop community boards from naming streets?

Collins and the fist of the state

Written By: - Date published: 12:08 pm, March 4th, 2010 - 39 comments

An ugly side of the Right, one that a lot of people thought was long defeated, has reemerged in recent weeks. Yesterday we had David Garrett’s ‘sterilise the poor because they might become criminals or breed criminals’ and last week we had arguably more disturbing comments from Judith Collins about how she wanted to restore “fear” of the Police.

Get tough no solution

Written By: - Date published: 2:20 pm, February 23rd, 2010 - 7 comments

Crime is not, as Judith Collins seems to think, evil people doing evil things that can be repressed by ever greater state violence. Deterrence doesn’t work because crime, especially violent crime, is not a rational outcome of weighing costs and benefits. A crime policy that doesn’t reduce crime isn’t really a crime policy, it’s a con.