Internet under legal scrutiny

What to do about Jurors who ‘Google’ is just one of the issues under discussion in an upcoming seminar hosted by InternetNZ, the Law Commission and the Ministry of Justice.

InternetNZ deputy executive director Jordon Carter says the ‘R v Internet’ seminar will explore the legal issues caused by Internet publishing. These include the availability of information to juries that may undermine suppression orders put in place to ensure a fair trial.

“The Internet has allowed every person to also be a publisher, and in New Zealand tens of thousands of people now publish online,” says Carter.

“The number of information sources available to the public in the pre-Internet age used to number barely a dozen, but there are now over 200 political blogs, many thousands more personal blogs and New Zealand Facebook pages and Twitter accounts open to public view. “The seminar should prove a useful input into the review of the law of contempt currently being undertaken by the Law Commission, consideration of the desirability of initiatives such as a central register of suppression orders, and also any wider review of contempt law that the Government undertakes.” The ‘R v the Internet’ seminar is being held on Thursday, 3 December at Te Papa, Museum of New Zealand. A high-profile speaker line-up has been confirmed and includes Attorney General Hon Christopher Finlayson, Solicitor General David Collins, District Court Judge David Harvey, University of Canterbury Associate Professor Ursula Cheer and Kiwiblog Editor David Farrar.