After claiming they couldn't afford legal representation, Gloriavale leaders have turned up at the Employment Court with a new lawyer, sparking a war of words and delaying proceedings.
Carter Pearce is now representing the West Coast commune in a dispute over whether six former residents, who are all women, are employees or volunteers.
Brought in after 10 weeks of evidence and with final submissions about to start, Pearce said he was "rather late to the game".
Gloriavale leaders had been representing themselves after they ditched their former lawyer Philip Skelton halfway through the hearing, claiming they could no longer afford the legal fees.
Gloriavale leavers lawyer Brian Henry said he only learnt about Carter Pearce at 4.23pm on Sunday, less than 24 hours before the hearing resumed.
"He must have known he was coming. He has been involved through the whole time as far as we are concerned, the second defendants have misled us.
"He has been in Christchurch with senior counsel throughout the entire hearings last year. He has been assisting senior counsel right through the entire hearing," Henry said.
Chief Judge Christina Inglis asked Pearce whether he'd been working behind the scenes.
"Well, right, I simply mean I wasn't here in court when the timetable was agreed," Pearce said.
The timetable relates to closing submissions, which should've started today. Normally the Gloriavale leaders would've gone first, but because they were representing themselves the court agreed they'd go last.
Henry said he had disclosed his hand and he wanted to "assert my right to return to last address".
It comes after they claimed they couldn't afford legal representation. (Source: 1News)
The leaders also received assistance from the court counsel Robert Kirkness.
"I would very much still stick to that if I needed to but I don't see that the second defendants need me to provide them with legal analysis when they have paid counsel to do that," Kirkness said.
In the end, no one was prepared or ready to give their final arguments.
"This is really regrettable where we've ended up, and I must say I'm disappointed in it," Judge Inglis said.
The court will resume again on Wednesday.
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