peterellis.org.nz
Media Release
28 September 2009

Minister of Justice must order Commission of Inquiry

In December 2008, author Lynley Hood and former National MPs Don Brash and Katherine Rich wrote to Justice Minister Simon Power. They requested that a Commission of Inquiry be established into the Peter Ellis/Christchurch Civic Creche case.

They argued: "That the wrongs done in the creche case have not been righted after all this time is nothing short of a scandal. They said the case was New Zealands most egregious miscarriage of justice.

A new report into the case, by researcher Ross Francis, underscores the incredible errors on which the case is based, peterellis.org.nz spokesperson Brian Robinson says.

'Peter Ellis: The case for a Commission of Inquiry' focuses on the role of the Ministry of Justice and, in particular, the advice tendered by its former chief legal counsel, Val Sim. In 2002, Sim advised the then-Justice Minister, Phil Goff, that Lynley Hoods book, 'A City Possessed', did not disclose any new information about the case requiring further inquiry. Francis concludes that Sims advice was unbalanced. He claims that she supplied Goff with "false and misleading information." Francis says that it is "difficult to resist the conclusion that Ministry of Justice officials, and the criminal justice system, have failed Peter Ellis."

In the light of this latest research, the Minister of Justice has no other option but to order a Commission of Inquiry.

'Peter Ellis: The case for a Commission of Inquiry' can be found here: www.peterellis.org.nz

ENDS

© Scoop Media