George Baker is serving an 18-year jail term for murdering teenager Liam Ashley. Photo / Dean Purcell
The Law Society said the Government must be careful proposed changes to defendants' access to jury details do not breach their rights.
"The ability for an accused person to know who the jury panel is and their occupations and generally where they live is a very important right. For instance,
it may be that there is some sort of geographical feature of a trial which means local knowledge is important," Law Society spokesperson Jeremy Krebs told One News.
The Government is looking at a potential tightening of court procedures after a convicted killer contacted a member of a jury which found him guilty of kidnapping.
George Charlie Baker was found guilty in Auckland District Court two weeks ago on charges of kidnapping, threatening to kill and assault with an offensive weapon after he took a prisoner hostage and tried to kidnap a prison officer in Auckland's Paremoremo Prison last year.
He offended while serving an 18-year sentence for the murder of Liam Ashley, who was killed in the back of a prison van almost four years ago.
The letter Baker sent to the juror was not believed to have been threatening and he was able to get the address because he represented himself at the trial.
Prime Minister John Key this afternoon said this situation was "very concerning" and showed there was a flaw in the system.
He said Justice Minister Simon Power was liaising with officials about whether it was necessary for defendants in such situations to be able to see jurors' addresses.
"I can't see why it is necessary. But we will leave that to the minister to work through."
"At the end of the day people that act for the New Zealand public in jury service are entitled to know that their safety will be preserved, that their integrity will be preserved and that they won't be put at risk, and the sort of behaviour we have seen from Baker is intimidating and I don't think it's acceptable."
However, Mr Krebs also doubted whether changing current procedures would make any difference.
"I imagine if someone is hell bent on finding out where a person lives, there are a million ways to do it in this modern technical society."
- NZ Herald staff, NZPA
