Legal aid ruled out at GE probe

The Royal Commission on Genetic Engineering says it has no power to grant legal aid to lobbyists or individuals who make submissions at its public hearings starting on September 18.

Sir Thomas Eichelbaum, who heads the commission, said yesterday that some people or organisations making submissions would be given the legal status of "interested person."

"Those individuals and groups will be entitled to appear at the hearings with lawyers - that is the law," he said.

The commission had received one query about gaining such recognition, and about 60 calls asking about preliminary scoping meetings to be held in Wellington next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

"It is to be expected that the lawyers will present the best cases they can in the interests of their clients," Sir Thomas said.

The potential for some people and groups making submissions to win "interested person" status has concerned Green lobbyists, who expected that biotechnology firms and their lobbyists would be the most likely to qualify.

They fear public perceptions of the commission could be damaged if groups opposed to aspects of gene technology fail to win the same proportion of "interested persons."

Sit Thomas said it was not appropriate to comment in advance about whether particular groups would achieve "interested person" standing, but he emphasised that the commission was not biased for or against anyone.

"The commission's task is to listen to what all New Zealanders have to say.

"The views of all sides of the debate will be vigorously advanced," he said.

"We do not see any reason to fear that any point of view will be under-represented."

Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said some activists were concerned about the requirement for applicants for special standing at the hearings to satisfy the commission that their organisation "has an interest in the inquiry apart from any interest in common with the public."

A key concern was that lobbyists such as Greenpeace, the Safe Food Campaign and GE-Free New Zealand might be seen as mainly representing the public interest.

Sir Thomas said the definition was not a standard laid down by the commission but a statutory provision applying to all such inquiries.

People who file applications by tomorrow for special standing must attend a hearing at the Wellington District Court next Thursday, where the commission will hear applications and legal arguments.

The results of some applications will be announced immediately, but where other applicants are asked to specify how their interest is different to that of the public, the commission decision and the reasons for it may be announced later.

- NZPA

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