The High Court trial of two men facing charges over one of New Zealand's most well known miscarriages of justice has been further delayed - with the Court acknowledging the delay could be several months.
The men face charges of wilfully perverting the course of justice over the conviction of Alan Hall, who spent a total of 19 years in jail for the murder of Auckland man Arthur Easton in 1985.
Hall had his conviction quashed by the Supreme Court in 2022, and was later paid nearly $5 million in compensation, the highest amount ever awarded in New Zealand.
The two accused men have pleaded not guilty, and their names and occupations are suppressed.
A four-week trial was scheduled to start on Monday, when the court heard one defendant was too ill to attend.
He had not recovered enough for him to attend today. The Court has allowed several more days for further medical assessments to be made.
Justice Gault acknowledged the possibility that the current scheduled trial may not be able to proceed, and that a mid-year fixture may need to be arranged.
Initially the Crown charged three men with perverting the course of justice. One of them died in 2024.
The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including a New Zealander arrested for allegedly accessing extremist material, and Scott Robertson has a new job. (Source: 1News)
SHARE ME