For immediate release…..

CAMPAIGN AGAINST CIVIL UNION BILL AND RELATIONSHIP BILL
http://www.civil-unions.org
contact@civil-unions.org

Press Release

25 November 2004

Complaint Against Human Rights Tribunal Member

Copied below is our formal complaint against Ms Jacqui Grant, newly appointed Member of Human Rights Review Tribunal, sent yesterday to the Operations Manager, Tribunals Unit, Ministry of Justice. Ms Grant issued nasty threats against us concerning our website and has exhibited ill will and extreme bias. She wrote: “…I think you are basically cowardly people … Rest assured you will be taken to task at every opportunity for hate crime… let me tell you no matter what denomination / branch of christianity etc you are all the same.” We have requested that she be asked to step aside from her statutory position having disqualified herself from any future involvement of the Tribunal. We set out the grounds for her removal below.

Attention
Mr Robert Wesney
Operations Manager
Tribunals Unit
Ministry of Justice
Wellington

24 November 2004

Dear Mr Robert Wesney,

… I am writing on behalf of the Campaign Against the Civil Union Bill and the Relationships Bill to lodge a formal complaint against a newly appointed Tribunal member Ms J. Grant. We have received a particularly threatening and nasty series of e-mails from her in which she suggests that we have committed a "hate crime" in terms of disseminating views on our website that she clearly disagrees with. She indicates clearly that it is her intention to take action against us.

Our website is: http://www.civil-unions.org

I have attached a press release we have issued on this matter about midday today. Ms Grant clearly wants to go public on this matter as she has accused us of being cowardly and she wants to debate the issue publicly. Consequently we have gone public on this matter on her invitation.

Well these are our charges against her:

As a member of a quasi-judicial tribunal she has a statutory duty to fulfil - these are clearly defined. She has stepped outside her jurisdiction to engage in vitriolic and inflammatory attacks on our group.

She has demonstrated a level of extreme bias towards all Christians that disqualifies her as a member of the Tribunal. How can any Christian group or Christian person holding views that differ from hers (over for example the Civil Union Bill) ever expect fair treatment from her if they are the subject of a Tribunal investigation following charges of the kind levelled at us by her: "hate crime"? Any person or group whose actions are scrutinised by the Tribunal is entitled to a fair hearing.

Ms Grant has demonstrated ill will and resorted to inflammatory invective. A fair hearing is no longer possible with Ms Grant on the Tribunal.

The threat she has delivered to us is unacceptable: to take action in the future against our website at every opportunity when she considers it consists of "hate crime". She has identified herself as a member of the Tribunal in making this threat.

We conclude she should be asked to step aside from this position. There are many well-qualified people who have demonstrated a fair-mindedness and lack of bias against Christians that appears sadly to be lacking in Ms Grant.

The second press release sent out today on this matter will be forwarded to you separately. It contains a copy of Ms Grant's second communication.

Yours sincerely
Garnet Milne
Spokesperson
Campaign Against Civil Unions and Relationship Bill.

Attachments:

“Nasty Threats From Review Tribunal Appointee”
Wednesday, 24 November 2004, 1:47 p.m.
Press Release: Campaign Against Civil Union Bill
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0411/S00205.htm

“Anti-Christian bias disqualifies Appointee”
Wednesday, 24 November 2004, 5:20 p.m.
Press Release: Campaign Against Civil Union Bill
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0411/S00208.htm

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