Once the Schadenfreude subsides – do Journalists understand the chilling impacts of how far Williams has lowered the defamation threshold?
This is an extraordinary case because of what is at stake. The narrative that the Jury believed is that Jordan Williams was a white knight riding to the rescue of a damsel in distress.
That narrative eclipsed the evidence that showed Jordan was actually in a relationship with Rachel at the time, went behind her back with the information about Colin despite promising not to and in fact hadn’t seen any actual text message despite claiming that he had.
The evidence is just not consistent with the Jury verdict.
In cases like this, where the evidence says one thing and the Jury say another, the High Court Judge has the ability to overturn a Jury decision and my guess is that is exactly the debate that will be had now.
There is a famous case about a dozen years ago where a drug dealer shot and killed a man in self defence. In that case the High Court Judge stepped in over the Jury and decided the drug dealer was innocent because the Judge couldn’t be sure if the Jury would decide the drug dealer was guilty just for being a drug dealer.
In this case you have evidence that has been ignored because it turned into a contest between Colin and Rachel.
As I understand it, the Judge has not yet accepted the verdict and has asked for submissions, if that submission process fails, my guess is Colin Craig will appeal.
It’s a terribly sad day when Dirty Politics can get away with political smear jobs and get $1.3million for it. Teina Pora was wrongfully locked up for 20 years and only received $2.5m, Jordan Williams has his man feelings hurt and gets $1.3m???
If there is any justice in the world, Rawshark will reappear and show exactly what these people are really about.
Agree. This particular court just rubber-stamped the use of Dirty Politics.
wow that is the crux…I bet most New Zealanders and the jury did not realise that she was in a relationship with Jordan!
…is she therefore a credible unbiased (albeit unwilling)witness with evidence to convict Colin Craig?…i would think not
ie “… the evidence that showed Jordan was actually in a relationship with Rachel at the time, went behind her back with the information about Colin despite promising not to and in fact hadn’t seen any actual text message despite claiming that he had.”…
Colin Craig should take this to the next court if necessary
There is much that can be read about hearsay and what it may be worth as evidence, the legal experts are well familiar with it. I note there seems to have been a fair bit of witness statements that were made, that would probably fall into the category of hearsay.
The quality of evidence in this trial was a worry, I think.
It was a bit like one person’s words having to be weighed up against another person’s words.
Then the harassment was not perceived as such for quite some time, in that earlier “emotional relationship” between Colin Craig and his secretary, there was a fair bit of two way conversations, including flattery, and I wonder whether relevant matters were given the consideration they deserved, and whether instead perhaps irrelevant matters were given too much weight.
I think an appeal is quite likely now, even just for challenging the damages over a million dollars, which seems far too high.
This space will need to be watched.
Whatever the rights or wrongs (and I have been entirely uninterested in the ins and outs this case), 1.3 mill for hurt feelings is quite ridiculous.
yes and to such a scumbag…makes a mockery of fairness and justice
The level politics has sunk too in this country actually disgusts me.
Its no longer what policies a party, has but whose dirty wheels they can grease just to stay in power.
If you ask me this was another national party hit job.
I think it would disgust a lot of New Zealanders if they really knew what was going on, and just what the mainstream media report. You and I – also quite disgusted – are by no means alone.
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