In what has to be the most bizarre over-reaction I have heard in a long time, the Herald reports that a 12-year-old girl was arrested for scrawling on her desk. That is: properly arrested in handcuffs and dragged off to the police station and given eight hours of community service as her sentence. Wow. I [...]

There has been quite a lot of media and blogosphere reaction to Chief Justice Sian Elias’ speech, most of it in reaction to her final comment about considering executive amnesty for certain criminals, in order to reduce prison numbers. ZenTiger at NZ Conservative has been particularly vociferous in condemning the remarks. Having now taken the [...]

So David Bain has been found not guilty. I’m not particularly surprised. Given the intense effort put into his defense and the rather slapdash methods of the original investigation, it was going to be difficult to prove a case “beyond reasonable doubt”. In fairness, the local police at the time of the murders would have [...]

Bailey Kurariki once again escapes a further jail sentence despite breaking his parole three times and assaulting his girlfriend. This almost absurd forbearance reminds me of the Monty Python sketch about the Spanish Inquisition, only nowhere near as amusing: Ximinez: Now, old lady — you have one last chance. Confess the heinous sin of heresy, reject the [...]

I don’t think there is ever justification for domestic violence. For that reason, I am glad that Tony Veitch has been made to confront his actions. He has now pleaded guilty and been punished appropriately. That should be the end of it. There is absolutely no evidence that this man is likely to reoffend. The [...]

If ever there was a contrast in convicted killers it is the contrast between Emma Agnew’s Murderer, Liam Reid and Pihema Cameron’s killer, Bruce Emery. By all accounts, Reid is the poster-child for the lock-’em-up-and-throw-away-the-key campaign. He is a nasty piece of work with no redeeming qualities at all, as evidenced by his behaviour following sentencing. I doubt [...]

In a scene reminiscent of the Queen of Hearts in Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, National’s new Law policy of “Life for Life” seems to have dragged all the capital punishment enthusiasts out of the woodwork. One person even savagely states: “A bullet to the head, put these guys down like the animals they are. A single [...]

An Item on 3 News about Psychwatch, a Name and Shame website complaining about lapses in the mental health system. The Mental Health services are understandably, and quite justifiably, annoyed. Mental Health Commission chairman Peter McGeorge said today that focusing attention on individuals who work within mental health teams was unfair and was unlikely to [...]

The Justice Ministry have put forward a troubling suggestion in Dominion Post today.  Accused rapists who plan to argue that sex with their victims was consensual may have to prove in court what measures they took to gain consent. I am not one of those morons who think that, when a woman is dressed skimpily/drunk/hanging around [...]

Today the HOS asks the question “Are you losing faith in the justice system?” based on this article yesterday in which a judge gave a female drunk driver, who killed a 36 year-old woman, a year’s home detention because she had “agoraphobia”. Add a Comment