NBR banned over explosive Urewera search warrant decision

The National Business Review is banned from giving details of an explosive suppressed judgment in the Urewera firearms saga – some of which are on the internet and in email circulation.

High Court Justice Helen Winkelmann wants immediate action from solicitor-general David Collins QC after details of her suppressed judgment were published electronically last week.

Justice Winkelmann, who last week was named the next chief High Court judge, has been hearing a number of pre-trial applications by activist Tame Iti and others facing firearms charges arising from what began as a police anti-terrorism operation in 2007.

In a lengthy judgment given on September 8, which she suppressed and almost immediately recalled because of a factual error, Justice Winkelmann made important findings about the validity of search warrants.

Some details of the suppressed judgment appeared on a website NBR cannot identify and in email traffic last week.

An Auckland High Court official told NBR today (Monday) Justice Winkelmann would be referring the publishing of judgment details to Mr Collins “with a request that all possible action be taken to remove from public circulation any details contained within the judgment and the judgment itself.”

NBR was refused a copy of the judgment, whose contents are becoming increasingly widely known, and is prevented by the suppression order from giving details the paper knows.