INDEPENDENT NEWS

CTV quake families angry over prosecution rule change

Published: Thu 21 Feb 2019 10:18 AM
CTV quake victims' families angry over prosecution rule change
The CTV families are angry that a bill before parliament only goes part of the way towards stopping negligent engineers from escaping prosecution.
Photo: Gabriel - Flickr, via Wikimedia Commons/a>
The Crimes Amendment Bill removes the rule that says a person must be charged within one year and one day of the act that contributed to the person dying.
The rule was part of the reason the police were advised [police not to lay charges of negligent manslaughter against engineer David Harding or his boss Alan Reay over the collapse of the CTV building, which was designed in 1986.
Families spokesperson Maan Alkaisi said while he was glad the rule has been repealed for future design work, he and the other families are angry it will be retained for design work already been done.
He said Justice Minister Andrew Little promised the families the rule would change and they felt badly let down that the change would not apply retrospectively for design work already used in building work.
The building collapsed following the 6.3 magnitude earthquake on 22 February 2011, which devastated much of the city and killed 185 people.
The Canterbury Television office collapsed in seconds and, in combination with a fire soon after, led to 115 of the deaths.
A Royal Commission found major faults with its design.
RNZ
New Zealand's public broadcaster, providing comprehensive NZ news and current affairs, specialist audio features and documentaries.
Radio New Zealand is a Crown entity established under the Radio New Zealand Act 1995. Radio New Zealand News are vital elements in our programming, providing impartial news and information to New Zealanders every day. Radio New Zealand (RNZ) provides listeners with exciting and independent radio programmes in accordance with the Radio New Zealand Charter.

Next in Comment

US Lessons For New Zealand’s Health System: Profiteering, Hospital Adverse Events And Patient Outcomes
By: Ian Powell
Israel’s Argument At The Hague: We Are Incapable Of Genocide
By: Binoy Kampmark
View as: DESKTOP | MOBILE © Scoop Media