Campaign Against The Civil Union Bill & Relationships Bill http://www.civil-unions.org contact@civil-unions.org

Press Release 26 November 2004

Human Rights Complaint to Hon. M. Wilson

Copied below is our formal complaint against Ms Jacqui Grant, newly appointed Member of Human Rights Review Tribunal, sent yesterday to the Associate Minister of Justice, Hon. Margaret Wilson. Ms Grant issued nasty threats against us concerning our website and has exhibited ill will and extreme bias. She wrote: “…I think you are basically cowardly people … Rest assured you will be taken to task at every opportunity for hate crime… let me tell you no matter what denomination / branch of christianity etc you are all the same.”

We have requested that she be asked to step aside from her statutory position having disqualified herself from any future involvement of the Tribunal. We set out the grounds for her removal below.

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CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE CIVIL UNION BILL & RELATIONSHIPS BILL http://www.civil-unions.org contact@civil-unions.org

Attention Hon. Margaret Wilson Associate Minister of Justice Government Minister mwilson@ministers.govt.nz

25 November 2004

FORMAL COMPLAINT AGAINST MS JACQUI GRANT Member of Human Rights Review Tribunal

Dear Ms Wilson

I am writing on behalf of the Campaign Against the Civil Union Bill (and its companion the Relationships Bill) to lodge a formal complaint against a newly appointed Tribunal member Ms Jacqui Grant. We have received two particularly threatening and nasty e-mails from her in which she suggests that we have committed a "hate crime" in terms of disseminating views on our website that she clearly disagrees with.

She indicates clearly in her first e-mail that it is her intention to take action against us, identifying herself as “Jacquie Grant MNZM Member Human Rights Commission Review Panel.” Leaving aside the fact that she is clearly confused as to the name of the independent judicial body she was appointed to on 9 November 2004, her communication reveals a person who exhibits extreme bias against Christians and their beliefs.

She wrote: “…you are basically cowardly people… Rest assured you will be taken to task at every opportunity for hate crime …you have rocks in your head…let me tell you no matter what denomination / branch of christianity etc you are all the same.”

Our website is: http://www.civil-unions.org

I have listed below links to two press releases we have issued on this matter. We wish these to form part of our documentation in this complaint. (The original e-mail communications will be copied to you shortly as part of our documentation). Ms Grant clearly wants to go public on this matter as she has accused us of being “cowardly” and she wants to debate the issue publicly. Consequently we have gone public on this matter on her invitation.

These are our charges against her:

As a member of an independent judicial tribunal she has a statutory duty to fulfil - these are clearly in information available to all appointees and the public from the Ministry of Justice. She has stepped outside her jurisdiction to engage in vitriolic and inflammatory attacks on our group.

She has demonstrated a level of extreme bias towards all Christians (“no matter what denomination / branch of christianity etc.”) that disqualifies her as a member of the Tribunal. How can any Christian group or Christian person holding views that differ from hers (over for example the Civil Union Bill) ever expect fair treatment from her if they are the subject of a Tribunal investigation she is involved in, following charges of the kind levelled at us by her: "hate crime"? Any person or group whose actions are scrutinised by the Tribunal is entitled to a fair hearing.

Ms Grant has demonstrated ill will and resorted to inflammatory invective. A fair hearing is no longer possible with Ms Grant on the Tribunal.

The threat she has delivered to us is unacceptable: to take action in the future against our website at every opportunity when she considers it consists of "hate crime". She has identified herself as a member of the Human Rights Commission Review Panel in making this threat.

We conclude she should be asked to step aside from her statutory position. There are many well-qualified people who have demonstrated a fair-mindedness and lack of bias against Christians that appears sadly to be lacking in Ms Grant.

We look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely Garnet Milne Spokesperson Campaign Against Civil Unions and Relationship Bill.

cc. Attention Mr Robert Wesney Operations Manager Tribunals Unit Ministry of Justice Wellington Submissions (supporting documents).

“Nasty Threats From Review Tribunal Appointee”
Wednesday, 24 November 2004, 1:47 p.m.
Press Release: Campaign Against Civil Union Bill http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0411/S00205.htm

“Anti-Christian bias disqualifies Appointee”
Wednesday, 24 November 2004, 5:20 p.m.
Press Release: Campaign Against Civil Union Bill http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0411/S00208.htm

Copies of Ms Grant’s e-mails to be supplied separately.

ENDS

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