Former rep rugby player mailed meth hidden in face masks around country during lockdown

Former rep rugby player mailed meth hidden in face masks around country during lockdown

A former representative rugby player mailed methamphetamine around the country hidden inside face masks during a Covid-19 lockdown, a court has heard.

The defendant has pleaded guilty at the Dunedin District Court to six drug charges, stemming from a police sting last year.

Because of a suppression order, he cannot be named, nor can the team he previously played for be disclosed for fear of identifying the drug dealer.

According to court documents, police became aware of the defendant supplying the class-A drug in the Otago region in April last year.

Lawyers experiencing burnout, stress and anxiety as workload increases – survey

Lawyers experiencing burnout, stress and anxiety as workload increases – survey

Three-quarters of lawyers say their mental health has suffered because of their work, according to a new survey.

Nearly 250 members of the Aotearoa Lawyers Working Union responded to its 2020 Employment Information Survey, which was released in March.

Of the 181 members who said their mental health had suffered, 101 said they had suffered stress, anxiety and burnout.

Corrections bans Jared Savage’s gang book

Corrections bans Jared Savage’s gang book

The Corrections department has refused to allow Jared Savage's best-selling book Gangland inside prison on the grounds that it "promotes violence and drug use".

An inmate at Otago Corrections Facility in Dunedin was sent a copy of the book – but it was banned and confiscated. The prisoner is self-styled jailhouse lawyer Arthur Taylor. He's now battling the department, and has filed a complaint to Janis Adair in the Office of the Inspectorate at Corrections.

"There is nothing," Taylor argues in his complaint, "that justifies or authorises the banning of this book."

Gangland is a history of modern organised crime in New Zealand. The author, Jared Savage, is an investigative journalist with the New Zealand Herald. His book has consistently featured in the Nielsen best-seller chart since it was published in December.

Why the Labour Party won't release the full Maria Austen report on summer youth camp scandal

Why the Labour Party won't release the full Maria Austen report on summer youth camp scandal

The Labour Party has decided it would be "inappropriate" to allow the public see the full report reviewing its policies after the youth summer camp scandal.

This is despite Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern declaring the external report, conducted by Wellington lawyer Maria Austen, would be released when the criminal court proceedings concluded.

After a young man, who initially faced indecent assault allegations, was discharged without conviction on two common assault charges, the Court of Appeal suppressed his name permanently in September - ending the case.

Gassed in their cells, ‘begging’ for food at Auckland Women’s prison

Gassed in their cells, ‘begging’ for food at Auckland Women’s prison

An asthmatic woman is repeatedly pepper sprayed and has to show her used sanitary products to male guards, while her seriously depressed girlfriend is left in isolation until she attempts suicide. Guyon Espiner reveals what's going on at Auckland Women's prison.

Final act of Labour youth camp case could be a gamechanger

Final act of Labour youth camp case could be a gamechanger

On Thursday afternoon, the long, long court process in the Labour youth camp case came quietly to a close, with the Court of Appeal granting permanent name suppression to the young man accused (and discharged without conviction) of assault charges.

It was one of those moments that could change the practice of criminal law when it comes to name suppression. It was reported in the mainstream media but you may have missed it nonetheless. The 21-page document did not exactly light up Twitter or Facebook.

It’s deeply ironic that the people who will be most outraged by this decision (except perhaps for the complainants, more on that later) are the ones whose actions made sure this young man’s name will never be known. One might even laugh, if it were the least little bit funny.

Labour Party Summer Camp Case: Court grants man permanent name suppression to protect against social media 'mob'

Labour Party Summer Camp Case: Court grants man permanent name suppression to protect against social media 'mob'

A young man has been granted permanent name suppression after admitting he assaulted two people at a drunken Labour Party youth summer camp.

And in what may be a precedent setting decision, the Court of Appeal said it did so to protect him from a social media "mob" intent on "cancel culture" and internet vigilantism.

Leading Criminal Defence Lawyers – Auckland, 2020

The 2020 listing of leading Auckland Criminal Lawyers details solicitors and barristers practising within the area of Criminal, Regulatory Offences & White-Collar Crime matters located in the Auckland area market whose and who have been identified by New Zealand’s Criminal law solicitors for their expertise and abilities in these areas.

Labour Party summer camp case: 'Political football' arrives at Court of Appeal as young man seeks secrecy

Labour Party summer camp case: 'Political football' arrives at Court of Appeal as young man seeks secrecy

A young man argues he has suffered enough as his intense and highly publicised trial became a political football after allegations emerged from a young Labour Party summer camp. Sam Hurley reports.

A "miscarriage of justice" will occur if a man is refused permanent name suppression after admitting he assaulted two others at a drunken Labour Party youth summer camp, his lawyer argues.

The 22-year-old has not been identified since sexual allegations emerged from the camp, near Waihi in February 2018, sparking the criminal case against him.

Midway through a trial last year in the Auckland District Court, however, a plea deal was reached between the man's defence team and prosecutors after a jury was asked to consider five charges of indecent assault, relating to two men and two women.

The man ultimately pleaded guilty to two amended charges of assault for the allegations against the two men, and the charges against the two women were withdrawn and dismissed.