Prominent figure facing charges gets continued name suppression
Photo:
RNZ / Dan Cook
A prominent New Zealander has been granted continued suppression orders prohibiting media from publishing his name and the charges he faces.
RNZ revealed on Monday the prominent New Zealander
was arrested last week
.
After being made aware of the man's arrest, RNZ approached the Wellington District Court to see if there were any suppression orders and when he would be appearing in court.
In response, a registrar said the man faced eight charges, all of which are category three offences meaning the offence is punishable by imprisonment for life, or imprisonment for two years or more.
However, an application had been granted prohibiting media from being able to report the man's name, identifying particulars as well as the nature of the charges he faced before his first appearance.
On Thursday, the man appeared in the Wellington District Court.
Media opposed the suppression orders. However, the defendant's lawyers asked for the orders to continue on an interim basis until their next appearance.
Judge John Laurenson agreed to continue the orders.
The man was remanded on bail without plea until his next appearance in August.
The suppression orders will be argued then.
Under the Criminal Procedure Act a court may make an order forbidding publication of the name of a person who is charged with an offence if the court is satisfied publication would be likely to result in eight different outcomes including causing extreme hardship and creating a real risk of prejudice to a fair trial.
The fact a defendant is well known does not, of itself, mean that publication of his or her name will result in extreme hardship.
At first appearance a defendant only needs to advance an "arguable case" that one of the eight grounds applies.
The only section in the Criminal Procedure Act that permits suppression of the charges is section 199C, which permits suppression of "trial-related information" where the court is satisfied publication of that information is likely to create a real risk of prejudice to a fair trial. Trial-related information includes "any other specific information in relation to any trial".
Where an interim order is made under section 199C it only lasts until the defendant's next court appearance.
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