A former member of Nelson's Exclusive Brethren church facing historic sex charges has appeared in court for a depositions hearing.
All details of evidence given at the hearing, in Nelson District Court on Friday, were suppressed.
The lawyer for Clive Allen Petrie, 73, said he would apply fora stay on proceedings against his client because the charges related to matters dating back more than 50 years, the Nelson Mail reports.
Petrie faces six representative charges of indecent assault and one representative charge of inducing a girl to do an indecent act.
The charges relate to four women and girls, and relate to offending that allegedly occurred in Nelson between 1951 and 1985.
Petrie's lawyer, Hamish Riddoch, asked for all the evidence heard on Friday to be suppressed, and this was not opposed by crown prosecutor Glen Marshall.
Justices of the peace Harry Baigent and Jill McKnight ordered for suppression to continue until a further court order was made.
The application to have the charges dropped will be heard by a district court judge.
Petrie was remanded on bail to April 24 for a callover.
His bail conditions, which include not applying for travel documents and not associating with the complainants, were continued.
