Petricevic pursuit warning to media

Rod Petricevic. Photo / Brett Phibbs

A High Court judge has threatened to ban television cameras from covering the trial of Rod Petricevic after media followed the failed finance company boss down the street.

Petricevic was in court on Tuesday to hear Justice Geoffrey Venning dismiss his application to have charges thrown out. Media were waiting outside for Petricevic and his lawyer. Both declined to comment.

But some media followed Petricevic and a television camera followed his progress as he made his way down Eden Cres, near the High Court at Auckland. Footage of the chase was shown on One News on Tuesday night.

Justice Venning issued a minute to media yesterday afternoon.

He said he was putting "the media on notice" and that if media continued to try to interview Petricevic or any of the other accused outside court then he would revoke permission for cameras to be allowed in court.

Media Freedom Committee chairman and Herald editor Tim Murphy said it was in the media's interest to pull back, following Justice Venning's minute.

"He is the master of his court and he can do what he likes."

But he said the media had always photographed and interviewed people on the street and they had a right to do so.

University of Canterbury's head of journalism, Associate Professor Jim Tully, said the minute was "pretty heavy".

He said given the public interest in the case, it was not surprising that media were waiting for Petricevic outside court.

"But when it comes to asking questions, there are rules around sub judice ... it probably wasn't helpful for journalists to try and get comment."

TV3 news boss Mark Jennings told Radio NZ that he thought Justice Venning had a fair point. But he said the "scrum" Petricevic faced was certainly not one of the worst he has seen outside court.