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Scoop Coverage: Video Surveillance Bill

Thursday, 29 September 2011, 10:14 am
Article: Scoop Full Coverage

Scoop Coverage: Video Surveillance Bill

Surveillance Bill Passes: Call For Report On Urewera Raids To Be Released

Maori Party MP for Waiariki, Te Ururoa Flavell, is calling for two reports on the Tuhoe raids to be released, one by the Independent Police Conduct Authority and the other by the Human Rights Commission. Both these reports, Mr Flavell understands, will outline a severe miscarriage of justice.

“It’s time for the Government to open up the books and let the truth out” said Mr Flavell.

“As they say, sunlight is the best disinfectant – let’s see the whole story come out so we can really understand what went on”. He adds. More>>

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human rights, video surveillance, protest

Gordon Campbell: On Why The Video Surveillance Deal Is A Travesty

So a cosy deal has been reached between National and Labour on the shape of the interim legislation governing the Police use of covert video surveillance.

The retrospective part of the government’s proposed Video Camera Surveillance Bill has been dropped... However, that’s a concession without consequences. More>>

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Select Committee Rewrites Bill: Attorney-General 'Welcomes' Report

Passing the Bill will mean Police are able to resume operations involving covert video surveillance of serious offenders. All police covert video surveillance on private property was halted following a Supreme Court decision on 2 September that almost all such operations were illegal.

The select committee report supports the Government's approach of temporarily preserving the law as it was understood before 2 September. More>>

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Crown vs Gown: PM On Police Surveillance

During a post-cabinet press conference the Prime Minister made the case that the police in the Urewera case had every reason to think the way they used hidden cameras was legal and the Supreme Court had overturned everything (as opposed to the police engaged in a legally reckless breach of their authority and the Government is now being forced to cover for it)... More>>

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Submissions: Labour Sets Out Its Position -
Will Support With Significant Amendments

Charles Chauvel: “The evidence was more or less universally damning of the legislation. Time and time again, witnesses such as the Law Commission, the New Zealand Law Society, the Criminal Bar Association, and the Human Rights Commission referred to the Bill as far too broad, and called for it to be radically amended.

“Having heard the evidence, Labour now sets out its position on the Bill and the amendments that National will be required to agree if it is to have Labour support to pass the House next week...” More>>

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Video Surveillance Bill: Police Incompetent Or Contemptuous?

Dr David Small: Fifteen years ago, I caught two agents of the Security Intelligence Service (SIS) breaking into the home of Aziz Choudry, an organizer of a Christchurch conference critical of APEC. More>>

Urgent Select Committee: Public Hearing On Surveillance Bill

Submissions can be made through the Parliament website at http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PB/SC/MakeSub/. Submissions can be made until 12.00am (midnight) tonight, Wednesday, 28 September 2011... Members of the public who want to give evidence at the public hearing are asked to be present at Bowen House between 7.00pm and 8.00pm. More>>

Christopher Finlayson: - "Last month, the Supreme Court retrospectively altered the law. It ruled that in the absence of specific statutory authorisation the use of covert video surveillance amounting to a search, and conducted in tandem with a Summary Proceedings Act search warrant, was unlawful..." More>>

Keith Locke: "The Video Camera Surveillance (Temporary Measures) Bill is one of the worst bills to pass through this Parliament. It is being rushed through completely unnecessarily and is a retrospective bill that legalises illegal behaviour by the police and other agencies..." More>>

Te Ururoa Flavell: "Now, this bill, I think, cuts to the very core of some deeply held concerns within our community. Mr Hide outlined most of them, but we are talking about transparency, we are talking about accountability, we are definitely talking about trust, and ultimately even the notion of corruption...." More>>

Law Society: In its submission, the Law Society finds the proposed law "objectionable" for a number of reasons, including the fact that it misrepresents the legal position – both as it existed before the Supreme Court decision in the recent Hamed case and as it was determined to be in that case. ... More>>

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Martin Doyle Cartoon: Here's looking at you, baby
Martin Doyle Cartoon: Here's looking at you, baby

Don Brash, Bob Marley, MarijuanaGordon Campbell: Brash Shot The Burglar, Did Not Shoot The Deputy
Unfortunately though, you would need to be stoned to see any principled continuity between the party’s support last week for the government’s rushed policy on Police covert surveillance on private property, and the sanctity of private property that Act then sought to enshrine in the right-to-self-defence measures that it unveiled on the weekend. More>>

Dr David Small: Video Surveillance Bill: Police Incompetent Or Contemptuous? Fifteen years ago, I caught two agents of the Security Intelligence Service (SIS) breaking into the home of Aziz Choudry, an organizer of a Christchurch conference critical of APEC... More>>

The Bill: Green Party Won’t Support Govt Surveillance Plan
“The Video Camera Surveillance Bill gives Police carte blanche to use covert video surveillance when implementing their search powers,” said Keith Locke. More>>

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tim denee illustration: justice, search and surveillance, supreme court, policeGordon Campbell: On The Police Surveillance Bailout (And Morning Report)
It would be easier to respect the law if – repeatedly – the Police and SIS didn’t seem so willing to break it whenever it suits them, while relying on the politicians to come along and clean up the mess they leave behind... More>>

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Martin Doyle Cartoon: Surveillance
Martin Doyle Cartoon: Surveillance

Report & Documents: Video Surveillance - Govt To Override Court

The Government plans to pass urgent legislation to override a recent Supreme Court decision on covert filming.

The ruling, on the case of those charged after the Operation 8 raids in the Ureweras, found that video evidence was gathered by the police without any authority and by trespassing on Tuhoe land. This unlawful evidence was ruled inadmissible in the cases of those charged only with arms charges. More>>

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