John Banks' win at the Court of Appeal hopefully sheds some much needed light on the sorry state of costs in criminal cases.
Read MoreJohn Banks
If you want people to believe you are honest, then it's best not to file false donation returns
John Banks should have been declared innocent by the Court of Appeal in November last year. But that doesn't mean he should not have been before the courts at all.
Read MoreJohn Banks isn't (yet) innocent
Or, rather, he hasn't (yet) been found not-guilty of filing a false election return. That probably will happen later.
Read MoreAnd justice has been seen to be done
John Banks is now a convicted criminal. Which is a good thing, but maybe not for the reason you think.
Read MoreBanks redux
Having slept on the Banks decision, here's some slightly more ordered thoughts on the matter.
Read MoreI know nothing
John Banks has been found guilty ... just as I confidently said would not happen.
Read MoreFrom the throne came the verdict, the lake of fire won't be your home
John Banks' political epitaph lies in the hands of a High Court judge. Will it be "John Banks, retired as MP in September", or "John Banks, kicked out of Parliament in June"?
Read MoreNothing except a battle lost can be half as melancholy as a battle won
John Banks will have a full trial on the charge that he knowingly filed a false donation declaration after his 2010 Auckland mayoral election defeat. That's not that surprising.
Read MoreJohn Banks and the lumpy mattress of deceit
Who knows whether John Banks will be found guilty next year, only the courts can decide. But in the court of public opinion, a trial is as bad as a conviction
Read MoreNext year's public law exam question is here somewhere ...
Three important public law developments fell on the one day. That makes posting a bit of a challenge!
Read More"Nothing to hide, nothing to fear"
It's a shame the "Tui Billboard" meme has well and truly jumped the shark (as, indeed, has that latter meme itself), because John Banks' "nothing to hide, nothing to fear" line is a prime contender.
Read MoreTo the last I grapple with thee; from hell's heart I stab at thee; for hate's sake I spit my last breath at thee
A certain blogger whose name need not be mentioned in polite company may have wounded Auckland's mayor. But "retired accountant" (amongst other things) Graham McCready has sunk a pretty big harpoon into the side of John Banks. Now, can he wriggle off it?
Read MoreThe Environment Court, and the one percent
The court with “the potential to affect New Zealanders’ day-to-day quality of life more than any other court in the judicial system” is on the ropes. The RMLA speaks out
Read MoreThe minister, CEO and top cop: We expect accountability
Three recent stories serve as reminders that we have every right to expect much from those given power over us
Read MoreWhy don't I have a right to know what I have a right to know?
John Banks knows who gave money to his mayoral campaign. We know John Banks knows who gave money to his mayoral campaign. So why don't we know who gave money to John Banks' mayoral campaign?
Read MoreCharter schools & mixed messages -- is this an intelligent design?
More innovation or wacky ideas? And how does the government square a commitment to quality teaching with its decision to let anyone's Uncle Jim teach struggling kids? Just a couple of the questions posed by charter schools. But wait, there's more...
Read MoreOne law for all!
There's no reason why a candidate wanting to represent Auckland voters in Parliament should have to follow different rules to a candidate wanting to represent Auckland voters as mayor.
Read MoreJohn Banks - not unlawful, just incompetent
John Banks didn't breach the Local Electoral Act, because he doesn't bother reading the legal declarations that get put in front of him. It's lucky he doesn't have an important job or anything ... .
Read MoreThese are not the droids you are looking for
Rodney Hide wisely has left Parliament behind him. But that doesn't mean he gets to pretend that he never was in Parliament.
Read MoreScandals and sideshows, sleaze and slurs
Autumn has become a season of scandals and sideshows – John Key’s casino-convention centre “scandal”, the Banks-Dotcom donation “scandal”, the sideshow of the mythical David Shearer leadership challenge – all soon to be wiped away by the start of the main game: the defining Budget of 2012.
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