Latest fromJustice System

Collins admits Pora could be innocent
Justice Minister Judith Collins has admitted convicted rapist Teina Pora, who has spent the past 20 years in prison, could be innocent.

Brian Rudman: Criminal conviction review system long overdue
Does anyone but Police Minister turned Justice Minister Judith Collins remain convinced Teina Pora raped and killed Susan Burdett?

Teina Pora case gathers support
The belief that convicted rapist Teina Pora is innocent is gaining momentum among key political figures.

Homeless attack: Accused was on bail
The teenager accused of a vicious assault on homeless man Edwin Linder was on bail at the time of the attack.

Tears in court for homeless man
The family of homeless man Edwin Linder wept in court as they faced the teenager charged with an assault that led to his death.

Collins looking into inquiry for Pora case
Justice Minister Judith Collins is seeking advice on whether to hold an independent inquiry into the Teina Pora case.

Peter Williams: Criminals are victims
Are the criminals who appear in our courts a bunch of badly dressed, poorly spoken layabouts, as Judge Callander complains, or are they victims of a hostile system?

Rough gear does you no good
Grumpy old Judge Russell Callander would be appalled at the flotsam and jetsam of humanity who congregate each morning outside the big glass entranceway of Auckland District Court, paving Albert St with cigarette butts.

Top prisoner release part of peace talks
Israel has said it will release "heavyweight" Palestinian prisoners as part of an agreement to enter preliminary talks in Washington.

Bankruptcy court told of boat sale proceeds
More than $300,000 from the sale of a $2 million luxury yacht ended up with a company directed by his father-in-law, a court heard yesterday.

$17m fraudster freed to 'dream' home
The mastermind of one of NZ's biggest public service frauds is about to be released from prison to live on a property "most of us can only dream about".

Bankruptcy battle in court
A former rich-lister is back at the High Court today, fighting to be discharged from bankruptcy - one of 24 the Official Assignee has objected to releasing.

Call for 17-year-olds to shift to youth justice system
A justice reform group is calling for 17-year-old offenders to be dealt with by the youth justice system rather than the adult criminal courts.

Race-killing case jury ponders verdict
Jurors have begun their deliberations in the racially charged trial of a US neighbourhood watch volunteer accused of murderingunarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin.

Kerre McIvor: Contempt? Yes, with good reason
Kerre McIvor has always wanted to serve on a jury. Courtroom dramas are the stuff of great movies and have spawned a genre of thrilling fiction.

Naked cruelty of Putin's brand of justice a disgrace
Russian President Vladimir Putin must have been a very angry man when he sanctioned the posthumous trial of Sergei Magnitsky, who died in March 2009, for tax evasion.

Ministry 'wikispat': Who is Clarke43?
Who is the volunteer Wikipedia editor who has inadvertently come to attention in a "wikispat" between Justice Minister Judith Collins and a ministry critic?

'Virtually impossible' for Alesco to win tax stoush
Building products firm Alesco's tax-avoidance battle is heading to the Supreme Court but its chances of success are slim, says one adviser.

Fran O'Sullivan: NZOG needs to fork out for Pike River
In her judgment against what was in many respects a phantom company on trial, Judge Jane Farish was clear about where the buck should stop, writes Fran O'Sullivan.

Boxing boss caught up in assault
High-profile boxing promoter David Higgins has been revealed as one of the men caught up in an assault which left his brother with a broken cheekbone and shoulder.

Horses left starving on seized farm
Ten horses were left to starve on lawyer Barry Hart's property after it was seized by the bank, leaving at least two in an emaciated state.

Prison smoking ban ruled unlawful
An urgent rule change by the Corrections Department which banned smoking in prisons has been ruled unlawful by a High Court judge.

Firms keen for cut of $11m Rena compo
Mark Tucker will never know how much money he lost during the darkest days of the Rena disaster.

Feltex shareholders go to court
More than 3600 former Feltex shareholders are now opted into litigation against the carpet-maker's former directors and an updated list of claimants has been filed with the High Court.

32,000 join bank fee lawsuit
A lawsuit claiming the ANZ Bank charged "excessive" penalty fees is to be filed in the High Court at Auckland today.

ANZ exec confident bank in the clear
ANZ head of retail banking Kerri Thompson says she is confident the bank will "come out in the clear" in a legal case claiming it has charged excessive penalty fees to customers.

Abuser may face longer prison term
Britain's Attorney-General is to review the 15-month jail sentence given to Stuart Hall, the disgraced BBC presenter, for a 20-year campaign of sexual abuse against young girls.

Peters bankruptcy extension serves no purpose: QC
There is no good reason for Jamie Peters' bankruptcy to be extended as he faces Official Assignee claims he still has control of significant assets.

Govt slams door on Kiwi rights to appeal
For nearly 20 years, solo mum Ginny Walker has had to keep a watchful eye on her son Jarrod, almost 24 hours a day.