law and “order”

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NRT: Pissing on the rule of law

Written By: - Date published: 12:15 pm, September 20th, 2011 - 137 comments

NRT: “The Supreme Court ruled that covert video surveillance evidence against the Urewera 18 was inadmissible, because it had been obtained unlawfully. This was no surprise to the police; they had known that the use of such surveillance was unlawful, but had gone ahead and done it anyway.” Now, the government’s changing the law for them.

Why an apology should be delivered to the Urewera 18

Written By: - Date published: 7:25 am, September 8th, 2011 - 22 comments

Four years ago we were told tales about military style training camps, terrorism, Molotov Cocktails, firearms etc. Police laid charges and put people’s lives through hell. Now, four years later, they can’t prove any of it. If you or I were put through what they were put through we’d expect, and deserve, an apology. Why should it be any different for them?

Crushless Collins

Written By: - Date published: 11:06 am, August 26th, 2011 - 16 comments

Inciting a riot

Written By: - Date published: 11:20 am, August 18th, 2011 - 46 comments

Cases being tried in England raise the question – what is an appropriate punishment for inciting a riot on Facebook?

Kick boot camps to the curb

Written By: - Date published: 10:15 am, July 21st, 2011 - 22 comments

Boot camps are a failure. $36K per head. 15 of 17 in the first two groups have reoffended already. That’s a worse recividism rate than prison. Even on dubious assumptions that the other 2 would have reoffended without boot camp and actually haven’t, that’s $612,000 to stop 2 offenders. Time for National to admit failure and stop wasting our money.

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.

We All Have Our Vices

Written By: - Date published: 11:13 am, June 30th, 2011 - 31 comments

Yesterday, Dakta Green was sentenced to 8 months prison on drugs charges arising from The Daktory cannabis ‘dispensary’ that operated openly for 2 years in West Auckland. But what harm was caused to justify denying a man his freedom at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars to the taxpayer? More harm than other small vices?

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?

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.

Some are more equal than others

Written By: - Date published: 1:00 pm, April 14th, 2011 - 41 comments

Next time some righties are protesting in Queen St, will the government call out an army LAV to clear a path for my car so I can go about my lawful business without being blocked by protesters? Or do only foreign multinationals have this government at their beck and call?

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.

From the pen of Fran O’Sullivan

Written By: - Date published: 12:25 pm, April 3rd, 2011 - 21 comments

Jenny reacts to Fran O’Sullivan’s latest article: “It seems the stench of the decision to remove the right to a jury trial from those arrested in the ‘Terror Raids’ has even risen into the nostrils of usually conservative members of the intelligentsia.” [conservative intelligentsia – there’s a shallow pool. Ed]

No jury of their peers

Written By: - Date published: 9:23 am, March 30th, 2011 - 55 comments

Given the controversy surrounding the 2007 Urewera raids, the legal system should be bending over backwards to conduct a process that is above reproach.  Instead, they are doing the exact opposite.

Lhaws’ lhabours lhost

Written By: - Date published: 12:14 am, March 4th, 2011 - 101 comments

Michael Lhaws has done more to hurt ethnic relations in this country than, arguably, anyone else in the past decade. He chose the most racially divided city in the land and cynically exploited those divisions to get the attention his pathetic ego craves. Now, one of his greatest ‘achievements’ has been ruled illegal.

1951

Written By: - Date published: 11:45 am, January 19th, 2011 - 74 comments

In 1951, New Zealand temporarily became a police state. Civil liberties were curtailed, freedom of speech denied, and the Government used force against its own citizens. This film tells the story of the infamous lockout of waterside workers and the nationwide strike which followed. The film won Best Documentary and John Bates was named Best Director, Documentary, at the 2002 New Zealand Television Awards.

Ministerial review: law & order

Written By: - Date published: 11:31 pm, January 4th, 2011 - 91 comments

A few of us have chipped in to review the performances of the government in major areas. We’re looking at whether the facts back up the promises that National made to get elected. Let’s have a look at crime/law & order. Rightwing governments are always big on scaring the middle-class about crims and promising solutions. Has National delivered?

Abomination becomes law

Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, December 9th, 2010 - 45 comments

Paul Quinn’s appalling Electoral (Disqualification of Sentenced Prisoners) Amendment Act passed last night with the support of just two parties – ACT and National. We’ve talked about why this law is so bad in the past. The Attorney-General agreed it is an unjustified breach of our human rights. Why did ACT, the supposed ‘Liberal Party’ vote for it?

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.

Useless laws won’t solve drug problem

Written By: - Date published: 11:50 am, December 3rd, 2010 - 33 comments

Lawmaking is serious business. It is how we as a community, through our elected representatives, set the bounds and frameworks for our behaviour, allowing our community to function. Laws shouldn’t be made, things shouldn’t be banned, for the hell of it. So why is Parliament passing a law that everyone, including the PM, thinks is pointless?

Police Commissioner: prison breeds crime

Written By: - Date published: 6:30 am, November 26th, 2010 - 230 comments

It’s pretty bloody late in his tenure to be saying it, but Police Commissioner Howard Broad has joined with every expert in telling politicians that their braindead, populist policy of increasing the number of crimes and ramping up prison sentences has to stop. It’s not a solution to crime, it’s making it worse.

Another reason why National should not be permitted a 2nd term

Written By: - Date published: 1:25 pm, November 19th, 2010 - 39 comments

CERRA, Ecan Abolition, the Supercity Acts, the Hobbit Enabling Act, Water Privatisation, Fire at Will, the Murray McCully Empowering Act… the list of laws, all passed under Urgency, that take rights off New Zealanders and give more powers to the government is endless. Now, the Police are being empowered to take DNA from anyone they arrest.

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.

They do both start with P

Written By: - Date published: 10:58 am, October 24th, 2010 - 8 comments

“They are blue – to match other uniforms in the justice sector such as police.” These words from the Police Minister are very difficult to misconstrue. The choice of colour was deliberate and in case everyone has forgotten, the uniforms were olive to make the clear distinction of Prison Officers from Police. The Government is blurring the distinction.

Nats’ golden handshake to disgraced judge

Written By: - Date published: 11:30 am, October 22nd, 2010 - 32 comments

When Justice Bill Wilson was accused of serious misconduct, Attorney-General Chris Finlayson didn’t want to investigate telling fellow National MP Colin King “Justice Wilson is a mate of mine and there’s no way I am pursuing this any further”. Now, Wilson’s got a $885,000 golden handshake from the government to make the issue go away.

Time for a new approach

Written By: - Date published: 9:17 am, September 26th, 2010 - 11 comments

On Thursday, the 2010 Organised Crime Assessment for New Zealand was released to the public.

Essentially it told us what we already know; we have a problem, we know what the problem is, and we’re failing to solve it. It is time we approached the problem rationally and responsibly.

Re: Chauvel on CERRA

Written By: - Date published: 1:44 pm, September 24th, 2010 - 18 comments

A few days ago Charles Chauvel wrote a piece on Red Alert on why Labour voted for CERRA. I have two big problems with it. 1) Labour may have won concessions that improved CERRA but they didn’t get the key one. 2) There’s a dangerous mindset in the position that Labour had to vote for dictatorship or get pilloried in the media and lose votes.

Garrett and McVicar partners in crime

Written By: - Date published: 9:15 am, September 21st, 2010 - 36 comments

Garth McVicar is head of ‘tough on crime’ lobby group the Sensible Sentencing Trust. David Garrett is a serial offender who now faces further criminal charges for perjury.

So naturally McVicar is backing Garrett to head up a new hard-line law and order party.

Tashkoff: Hide lied to ACT Board about Garrett

Written By: - Date published: 4:08 pm, September 17th, 2010 - 83 comments

According to ACT’s Peter Tashkoff, Rodney Hide misled the ACT Party Board by hiding his knowledge of David Garrett’s passport dishonesty offence. So here we have a party leader who couldn’t see the problem with accepting someone who’d committed such a distasteful crime becoming not only an MP, but ACT’s Law and Order spokesman, and so […]

Garrett case another example of special treatment for elite

Written By: - Date published: 9:28 am, September 17th, 2010 - 67 comments

David Garrett’s theft of a dead child’s identity is a revolting offence that violated our passport system and distressed the family. He lied to the Police when arrested and lied to the Court about having no prior convictions. Why did he escape conviction when others were being jailed for the same offence? Because he’s a lawyer. The elite looks after its own.

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