Doctors' strike delays Kahui trial

The junior doctors' strike has claimed an unexpected casualty

The Kahui twins murder trial is in recess today because many of the senior medical experts that were scheduled to appear today as Crown witnesses will instead be covering for their striking junior colleagues.

Crown lawyers and Kahui's defence team will instead spend the day dealing with administrative issues.

About 8000 elective surgery and outpatient visits have been cancelled as a result of the doctors' strike.

The strike ends tomorrow morning but doctors have already notified they will walk out again on May 7.

The trial will resume at the High Court tomorrow.