Student paper in court over leak on fees

Victoria University will fight to prevent a student magazine releasing leaked information about next year's fees, despite three other student publications printing the article.

The university won an interim injunction in the High Court at Wellington on Friday but it was too late to stop Salient magazine printing this week's edition.

Six thousand copies of Salient, which is owned by Victoria's Student Association, are awaiting distribution.

An urgent hearing will be held on Thursday after lawyers for both parties appeared in court yesterday.

Student Association lawyer Paul Chisnall said Salient would apply to have the injunction set aside as the information was a matter of public interest.

Next week's edition was the last for the university year, he told the packed courtroom.

Victoria lawyer Peter Churchman said the university was concerned the article had been published electronically on Salient's website and it was understood every other student publication in the country intended to print it.

Salient editor Emily Braunstein said, "It is a freedom of speech issue.

"We were concerned if we didn't bring it out it would be swept under the carpet. The university is waiting for students to leave campus."

Salient received the injunction at 7pm last night, just in time to stop the distribution of the magazine, Ms Braunstein said.

It was believed to be the first time in the magazine's 67-year history the university had stopped its publication or distribution, she said.

Salient news editor Keith Ng confirmed three publications had already printed the article: Otago University's Critic, Nexus at Waikato University and Massey University's Chaff.

Victoria spokeswoman Jude Urlich said the university sought to stop the information from being published because it was information Salient was not entitled to have.

"We tried very hard to work with Salient to attain the return of the documents," she told reporters.

The university council worked under guidelines established by the Official Information Act.

"The government process involves the Vice Chancellor giving free and frank advice, in this case to a committee. This advice has not been seen by the full council yet."

Salient's article could be misleading and the story was potentially incorrect, Ms Urlich said.

"I would say the story is unlikely to be 100 per cent accurate."

Although Salient could be in contempt of court for publishing the article electronically, the injunction did not apply to other magazines.

Meanwhile, the student magazine that last month caused outrage with an article slated as a "how-to" guide for rapists has been named best student publication in the national student publishing awards.

Otago University's Critic magazine drew condemnation from Rape Crisis for its "Offensive Issue" last month, and could yet face legal action over the issue.

But on Saturday it was plaudits and not prosecutions heading Critic's way when it was nominated the best student publication at the Aotearoa Student Press Association (ASPA) Awards in Auckland.

Critic won seven of the 16 awards. Salient was voted second-best.

One of the judges, journalist Steve Braunias, said Critic was "solid, entertaining, provocative, sometimes properly stupid, and, possibly, vital to Dunedin - [with] lots of humour and a clear editorial intelligence at work."

ASPA incorporates 13 publications from New Zealand universities and polytechnics.

- NZPA