But underlying the verdict which had legal complications due to time lapses and Ellis being dead, was a truly alarming action by the Court’s judges.
This was their illegal introduction of maori customary law (tikanga), used in this case to overcome a technical difficulty.
I won’t trouble you with the details other than to say that what it amounted to was the judges making law. That’s not their bloody role. Laws should only be made by Parliament, or, in other words the people’s representatives and not by self-appointed legislators.
Unsurprisingly only Stephen Franks has publicly slammed this and didn’t pull his punches in writing, “This action should embarrass all New Zealand lawyers as a display of radical chic masquerading as legal reasoning.” Outlining why the court’s action was outrageous and dangerous he added “…they have made without any mandate from the people they now intend to rule, the right to make law. They are judges who want to be kings.”
Frank’s protest is indisputably correct. Will the government do anything about this, such as, to indicate its seriousness, sack the lot of them?
Probably David Seymour may speak up but it’s yet another aspect of the untouchable maori wonderfulness lies destroying our civil society.
Daily our newspapers report maori violence, assaults and criminality. What if one kills and eats his victim, a customary pre-European maori practise? Then he goes through the appeals system, ends up before this lot and claims tikanga, namely that maori custom legitimises his action.
What hypocrisy will they produce to twist their way out of that scenario?
This is a deadly serious matter, its significance probably lost on most folk.
Nevertheless it befalls the government to immediately sack the lot of them and reappoint a new Supreme Court panel. To repeat; the right to make laws is the sole domain of the people through their elected representatives, otherwise known as democracy.
In a perfect world, given the significance of this action which is no different in principle than say a military take-over, Parliament would temporarily bring back capital punishment and publicly hang the lot of them.
POST SCRIPT – Since drafting this I’ve learnt that former MP Ross Meurant came out strongly on this disgrace and so too senior Gallery political journalist Audrey Young, in the NZ Herald. But where’s the Law Society and academics for God’s sake?
Frank’s protest is indisputably correct. Will the government do anything about this, such as, to indicate its seriousness, sack the lot of them?
Probably David Seymour may speak up but it’s yet another aspect of the untouchable maori wonderfulness lies destroying our civil society.
Daily our newspapers report maori violence, assaults and criminality. What if one kills and eats his victim, a customary pre-European maori practise? Then he goes through the appeals system, ends up before this lot and claims tikanga, namely that maori custom legitimises his action.
What hypocrisy will they produce to twist their way out of that scenario?
This is a deadly serious matter, its significance probably lost on most folk.
Nevertheless it befalls the government to immediately sack the lot of them and reappoint a new Supreme Court panel. To repeat; the right to make laws is the sole domain of the people through their elected representatives, otherwise known as democracy.
In a perfect world, given the significance of this action which is no different in principle than say a military take-over, Parliament would temporarily bring back capital punishment and publicly hang the lot of them.
POST SCRIPT – Since drafting this I’ve learnt that former MP Ross Meurant came out strongly on this disgrace and so too senior Gallery political journalist Audrey Young, in the NZ Herald. But where’s the Law Society and academics for God’s sake?
Sir Bob Jones is a renowned author, columnist , property investor, and former politician, who blogs at No Punches Pulled HERE.
3 comments:
Until now citizens have been free to comment on the deceased. But now any critical comment on the various dead maori extreme activists, tax dodgers, fraudsters, violent and sexual offenders etc wil presumably attract court action on the basis that their mana belittled.( And despite that, in maori eyes, illegal activity seems often to enhance mana.)
Bob, you're wondering where the Law Society & academics are? While not God, although arguably close, Garrick Tremain has made it simple and drawn you a picture. They're in doing their pilates.
Yes it was pretty sneaky. We have to admit though that the Justice system had treated Peter Ellis appallingly. That whole affair was ludicrous, and it behooved ' the law' to find some way to deal with it. They did not. That man's life was ruined. And he's not the only one our justice system fails. It is ripe for reform.
NOT I hasten to add in the direction of tikanga.
As you write, the Law Society and the academic law faculties are pathetic.
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