The National Business Review will fight a courtroom bid by ex-Rich Lister John Robert Sanders (60) to keep his name secret – nearly a week after it was published to thousands of online readers.Mr Sanders, a former Rich Lister calculated in 2007 to b
The National Business Review will fight a courtroom bid by ex-Rich Lister John Robert Sanders (60) to keep his name secret – nearly a week after it was published to thousands of online readers.
Mr Sanders, a former Rich Lister calculated in 2007 to be worth $60 million, wants the Court of Appeal to suppress his name, despite a High Court judge allowing NBR to name him in an exclusive subscriber online story last Friday.
Embroiled in a bid to set aside a multi-million dollar divorce settlement, Mr Sanders yesterday launched another challenge to prevent NBR naming him and his ex-wife Yvonne.
In a sworn affidavit to the High Court pending his appeal, Mr Sanders said a prospective buyer of his Remuera mansion – previously owned by David Richwhite – was extremely annoyed that details were public.
Court documents identified the prospective purchaser as businessman and investor Bruce Catley, principal of Palladian Group and former chief operating officer of Trans Tasman Properties.
If Mr Sanders succeeds in getting an interim suppression order until his appeal is heard, his name and that of his ex-wife will have to be removed from NBR’s website by court order.
In what was a landmark ruling on new family law, the couple were named by permission of High Court Justice Lyn Stevens in an exclusive NBR subscriber online story last Friday.
Mr Sanders’ application to set aside a divorce settlement mediated in May 2008 was put on hold last week after NBR law and courts reporter Jock Anderson successfully argued for leave to name the couple in his story.
Upholding Mr Anderson’s argument, Justice Stevens said it was “an appropriate case to grant leave to NBR to publish the names of the parties.”
“I consider naming the parties provides a proper context and avoids any unwarranted and unnecessary speculation about who the parties to the proceedings are,” the judge said.
He also permitted the family home at 542 Remuera Rd to be identified.
Mr Sanders’ QC Anne Hinton failed in a bid opposing naming the Sanders and identifying their house.
Mrs Sanders was neutral on being named, according to her QC Deborah Hollings.
In a surprise move on Monday, Mrs Hinton said an appeal against the naming of Mr and Mrs Sanders was filed today (Tuesday).
Court papers were served on Mr Anderson today requiring him to respond to Mr Sanders’ suppression application in time for a telephone conference scheduled for 3pm on May 5.
