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Andrew Little: Considering law change after CTV verdict

Author
Newstalk ZB Staff,
Publish Date
Fri, 1 Dec 2017, 8:47AM
Justice Minister Andrew Little (NZH - Doug Sherring)

Andrew Little: Considering law change after CTV verdict

Author
Newstalk ZB Staff,
Publish Date
Fri, 1 Dec 2017, 8:47AM

The Justice Minister is considering a law change to make people accountable in cases like the collapse of the CTV building.

LISTEN ABOVE: Justice Minister Andrew Little speaks to Mike Hosking

Police have announced there's insufficient evidence to lay criminal charges after it pancaked in the 2011 earthquake, killing 115 people

This is despite a royal commission of inquiry finding "significant deficiencies" in the building's design.

Justice Minister Andrew Little told Mike Hosking there's clearly a level of negligence involved, but everyone has walked away scot-free.

"We do need to have a look at the law to see whether something like this should properly be captured, and people should be held to account."

But Andrew Little said it wont be easy to change the law to allow for corporate manslaughter.

Police may have been able to secure a CTV building conviction if New Zealand had a corporate manslaughter law, one lawyer believes.

AUT's Warren Brookbanks said it would have been difficult for police to identify individuals who they could prove were responsible.

But he said it would have been a different outcome with a corporate manslaughter law.

"Then you could simply make the company responsible, rather than have to identify particular actors within the company who can be held responsible for what happened."

The second proposal being made by Warren Brookbanks is changing the time limit on criminal negligence cases.

For any charges to be brought, a death has to occur within a year and one day after the act in question - in this case the building's design in 1986.

Brookbanks said the time limit is arbitrary.

"Certainly its something that can be looked at. There's no reason why that couldn't be reformed if it was considered to be inadequate in the light of modern situation."

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