State of justice drives Hide Wild

Submitted by Sam Buchanan (not verified) on 17 October 2003 - 1:41am
in
  • International

We're all driven wild by the state's `justice', but here's some tips for activists facing court - the DomPost accidentally reports on how to get off scot free.

The Dominion Post (Oct 15) reported that MP Rodney Hide is in a lather over the lack of legal action following the participation of Rayna Fahey in an anti-GE demo at parliament.

Fahey, Green MP Nandor Tanczos' secretary, joined other activists in stripping naked and lying down to spell out `No GE' on parliament lawn. Hide reckons she's been treated more favourably than MP Shane Ardern who was charged with disorderly conduct after driving a tractor up parliament steps in a protest against proposed taxes on greenhouse gases. Hide misses the point that Ardern's actions were potentially dangerous and probably illegal whereas Fahey's weren't, he appears to assume anyone who protests ought to be punished.

But more significantly Hide misses the real discriminatory practices of New Zealand justice. Right above the article on Hide's comments is another reporting that a teenager who punched a pizza delivery worker and stole a pizza has had his robbery conviction overturned by High Court judge Justice Wild on the grounds that he was a good student who aspired to go to university, excelled at sport and hoped to go to Britain to coach rugby. Wild decided a conviction might hurt his career and travel prospects.

Fair enough really, but does anybody imagine a Polynesian kid from South Auckland who punched someone and stole something would get off a conviction on the grounds that he was good at rugby and was a promising auto mechanic? Yeah right.

Small world that it is, Justice Wild's nephew, Marcus Simpson-Wild, also featured in the paper that day. Him and his mate deliberatly set fire to scrub, twice, following a dispute with a neighbour. The Judge noted that there was a distinct risk to property and people, especially the firefighters, but hey, he decided a criminal record might impact on Simpson-Wild's ability to travel, especially as he was a well-known equestrian, so discharged the pair without conviction.

So all you activists facing court, make overseas travel plans, get good at sport, have ruling class relatives and be white and you'll see the system's caring nature come to the fore.