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Protecting people who offer the media important information is a fundamental obligation for journalists. Chris Cooke quit TVNZ after it didn't keep a promise to Erin Leighton, whose off-the-record disclosures ended up being aired in court in the defence of her abusers. They're now pushing for a 'shield law' to ensure our media can guarantee confidentiality.
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A journalist who quit TVNZ and his role on its flagship current affairs show Sunday has spoken of resigning on a point of principle after “off the record”...
The new justice minister has said name suppression in our courts “is not working” because it’s granted too often to people with the means to make a strong bid for it. That puts Kiri Allan on the same page as the media which want greater freedom to report details of court cases of public interest. But would that also jeopardise the right to fair trial?
The plan has been condemned by National MP Simon Bridges as "Orwellian" and by ACT's David Seymour as "a huge win for cancel culture". Bridges, in the house, asked Justice Minister Kris Faafoi at what point insulting or offensive views could land someone in court. "Would an off colour joke about say Israel Folau, a Christian, or Laurel Hubbard, a member of the transgender community, under his proposals potentially see someone penalised civilly or criminally in court with huge consequences for them?" Bridges asked. Faafoi said the bar defining what constituted hate speech would be set high. "T...
The current government is not among them. In April, Justice Minister Kris Faafoi tabled a series of proposals to Cabinet which would reform New Zealand's hate speech laws. This is a move several countries, including the UK, have made in recent years; the existing laws date back to 1993, an age without Facebook and Google, and when New Zealand was a much less diverse country. But any significant change around hate speech involves censoring free speech - the cornerstone of liberal democracy. Any imposition on a person's right to speak their mind quite rightly comes under extreme scrutiny. On to...