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Journalist Nicky Hager has launched a scathing attack on the Defence Force during a presentation to the Operation Burnham Inquiry, accusing it of not telling the full truth about its operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Inquiry, which is investigating allegations that six civilians were killed in Afghanistan during a New Zealand-led raid in 2010,
Reportedly most (and possibly all) of the Royal Commission investigation into the Christchurch mosque shootings will be closed to the general public and to the media. Oh sure, come delivery date in December there will be some kind of “public-facing” document containing conclusions and rationales, but there will have been no interim way of scrutinizing the
A group of mosque attack victims are angry Victim Support did not ask them how they wanted the millions of dollars it collected on their behalf to be distributed. Christchurch lawyer Andrew Oh is working pro bono to help the group of about 64 bereaved, seriously injured or traumatised victims get their voices heard. Read more at Stuff
The police watchdog says a police officer who drove more than 80kmh over the speed limit in pursuit of a fleeing driver should have been charged. In a statement, the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) said a criminal investigation should have been undertaken, as the officer could have been convicted for dangerous driving. The IPCA oversaw a police investigation
The United Nations Secretary General has given a nod to indigenous rangatahi in their fight for climate justice. Yesterday morning, rangatahi Māori activists made their way to Auckland Museum’s event centre for an unusual meeting. Te Ara Whatu, Aotearoa’s first indigenous youth delegation to the United Nations, joined climate minister James Shaw and other climate activists in
Previously classified documents released by the inquiry into Operation Burnham show the NZDF thought civilians may have been killed in the days following an attack in Afghanistan. Twenty-two documents, 14 directly relating to Operation Burnham, have been uploaded to the Inquiry website. It comes ahead of a public hearing on 22 May into allegations that six
Nicky Hager, whose book Hit & Run sparked an inquiry into New Zealand Defence Force actions in Afghanistan, will make two presentations at the second public phase of an inquiry into what happened. The Operation Burnham Inquiry is investigating allegations that six civilians were killed in Afghanistan during a New Zealand-led raid in 2010, and
The High Court has refused to allow lawyers representing Afghanistan villagers to seek further information from the government inquiry into Operation Burnham. The inquiry is investigating allegations that New Zealand soldiers killed six Afghanistan civilians during a military operation in 2010 and the military then covered up what happened. Those allegations were the subject of
Afghanistan villagers, who claim to have lost relatives in a military operation involving New Zealand soldiers, need to be front and centre of an inquiry into the incident, a lawyer says. Operation Burnham is investigating allegations that New Zealand soldiers killed six Afghan civilians during a military operation in 2010 and the military then covered up
Lawyers for the Afghan villagers caught up in Operation Burnham have failed in the first High Court challenge of the secretive inquiry. An attempt to reveal details of who was being nterviewed behind closed doors was denied by Justice Rebecca Ellis on Tuesday. In the Wellington High Court on Monday, lawyers for the villagers argued detail was essential
