Judith Collins
Today's Cabinet meeting discussed developments in the
David Bain compensation application but no decisions were
taken, Justice Minister Judith Collins says.
She did not go into details but it is likely Ms Collins
talked about whether to commission another report into the
case and, if so, by whom.
She rejected the work of Justice Ian Binnie, a former judge
of the Canadian Supreme Court, as flawed and going beyond his
mandate in recommending compensation and delivering a report
with serious errors.
Former New Zealand High court judge Robert Fisher peer
reviewed Mr Binnie's report for Ms Collins and last year she
did not rule out him as a person who might conduct a further
report.
After today's Cabinet meeting, the first of the year, Ms
Collins issued a statement saying she had updated her
colleagues on the status of Mr Bain's application but no
decisions had been made on the next steps.
She reiterated the fact that no one was entitled to
compensation and that Mr Bain's application falls out the
cabinet guidelines for approving compensation - although
exceptions have been made in the past.
She would make an announcement when a decision on further
steps had been made.
- Audrey Young of the New Zealand Herald
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