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Tuhoe activist Tame Iti and others arrested after the Urewera police raids want evidence to be translated into Maori - and that could mean a depositions hearing could take weeks to complete.
The entire month of September had been set aside for a depositions hearing for Iti and 17 others facing firearms charges in connection with the police raids in different parts of the country last October.
At a hearing in the Auckland District Court yesterday Judge Graham Hubble said all the Crown had to do was prove firearm possession for a prima facie case to be established and asked lawyers for the accused if four weeks was long enough for depositions.
Iti's lawyer, Annette Sykes, said she would be seeking evidence to be translated into Maori for her clients for all major hearings.
A lot of material had already been provided without a translation and an estimate of four weeks for depositions was conservative, she said.
"My clients want to speak in te reo ... they are fluent in English but would like to speak in te reo because they are more fluent in it."
The translation could mean the hearing would stretch into October which would cause problems for other legal counsel who have other commitments.
Judge Hubble said if that was the case new legal representation would be required because the court calendar was full.
The court heard lawyers for the accused would have to read 60,000 pages of evidence sparking complaints from some that the legal services agency still hadn't confirmed if they would be paid to read the documents.
Judge Hubble said if he was a defence lawyer he would want to read all the documents and expected legal services to make their position clear within two weeks.
Several bail variations were granted yesterday and the accused were excused from attending another pre-depositions hearing on April 18. There was a heavy police presence around the court as protesters - some with Maori sovereignty flags - gathered outside but there were no arrests made.
