On the Pike River inquiry
Image: TV3 – Flames seen from above the Pike River mine The Royal Commission of inquiry into Pike River disaster has an open slate to […]
Justice System
On The Hobbit finale
Great. The Hobbit stays here. Everyone’s happy about that – you, me, John Key, Robyn Malcolm…we’re all so very happy, at least until we look […]
Engage the Crazy Horses
The real challenge facing the Maori Party : constructive engagement with gangs
On taking away the right to vote from prisoners, and John Key’s latest slur on MMP
Click for big version For the last few months a silly and spiteful private members Bill sponsored by National MP Paul Quinn has been working […]
On the Waihopai ‘Claim of Right’ Defence, and Arming the Police
Jump to ‘Reduce Violence : Arm the Police. Yeah, right.’ Usually when the public feels outraged by an acquittal in a high profile trial, the […]
On Julia Gillard, and Simon Power
Julia Gillard’s ascent to the top job in Australia will face its first major policy test in the next fortnight, as she will have to […]
On RWC fever, and Obama’s Supreme Court choice
RNZ this morning carried the news that “new research” now shows that the Rugby World Cup would add an estimated $535 million to the nation’s […]
On the Waihopai Three Verdict, and East Jerusalem
2008 Image: Ploughshares Penetrate Waihopai Base Deflate Dome The acquittal of the Waihopai Three for their attack on the Waihopai spy base is as welcome […]
Gordon Campbell on the government's tolerance of white collar crime
This government takes a crush ’em and crate ’em approach to crime – unless that is, the offender happens to be wearing a tie. In […]
On the ‘Three Strikes’ Policy and the SAS in Kabul
Click to enlarge In the Book of Leviticus, God takes a no nonsense, zero tolerance approach to offending. Curse your parents, or let your child […]
On whether people should be able to burn the flag at Anzac Day
Click to enlarge Any masochist who wants to feel depressed about the state of the New Zealand judiciary needs only to turn to Justice Terence […]
On how The Lovely Bones affects the credibility of Peter Jackson’s Film Commission review, and on other bombs
Click for big version More Images from The Lovely Bones premiere in Wellington. Co-incidentally, just as Arts Minister Chris Finlayson readies himself to release Peter […]
Margaret Bazley’s attacks on legal aid
The ‘gone by lunchtime’ response to legal aid that the Key government has chosen to adopt in the wake of Margaret Bazley report needs to […]
Putting the 9/11 Terrorists on Trial
Click to enlarge For years, human rights advocates have argued that terrorism is essentially criminal behaviour, and terrorists should therefore be tried under the rules […]
Gordon Campbell On The Afghan Marital Rape Law
New Zealand has a special interest in the rape law that Hamid Karzai has reportedly sneaked into effect only days before the Afghan election on […]
Foreign ownership rules, and California’s support for Chief Justice Sian Elias
To its critics, the government’s response to the recession has looked like an Eighties Revival. Psychologically speaking, that’s not so surprising, When in trouble, politicians […]
Gordon Campbell: The Sian Elias speech about crime
The recent speech by Chief Justice Sian Elias may have been greeted with some – sensational headlines – “Top Judge Suggests Prison Amnesty” – and […]
The Erosion Of Justice
As the civil rights we enjoy get whittled away, the pattern is becoming very familiar. Initially, fresh powers of search, detention, use of secret evidence […]