Karam's case against Robin Bain supporter goes to court

Joe Karam is suing Kent Parker, the head of the Justice for Robin Bain group, for defamation. Photo / NZPA

The legal battle between David Bain supporter Joe Karam and the head of a protest group is continuing in court.

Mr Karam and members of the Justice for Robin Bain Group are in a conference at the High Court at Auckland today.

The hearing is in Chambers and the media have not been allowed in.

Mr Karam is suing Kent Parker - the head of the group Justice for Robin Bain - for defamation.

Earlier, a protest outside court attracted three people, including Mr Parker who played his guitar.

Mr Parker said there are 600 people in his group and he was there because of their support.

He hoped there would be a settlement after today's proceeding.

David Bain was convicted in 1995 for the murder of his parents Robin and Margaret, two sisters Laniet and Arawa and brother Stephen in their Dunedin home.

In 2007 the Privy Council quashed his convictions saying there had been a substantial miscarriage of justice and ordered a retrial.

David Bain, 40, was found not guilty in June 2009 at the High Court in Christchurch. His lawyers argued that Robin Bain had shot his family before turning the gun on himself while David Bain was out on his newspaper round.

David Bain is expected to be interviewed by retired Canadian Supreme Court judge Justice Ian Binnie in Auckland later this month.

Mr Bain is in line for a multimillion-dollar payout from the Government if he can prove that "on the balance of probabilities'' he is innocent, and therefore was wrongfully imprisoned for 13 years.