What's somewhat amusing about this, perhaps, is that NZ up until recently did not even have a "Bill of Rights". And the inspiration for it came from guess where? Many years ago, one of NZ's former Ministers of Justice spent some years in the US (U. of Iowa? I have forgotten) and when he returned to the Antipodes he brought the idea home with him. Though there is no "constitution", and Parliament is still supreme, NZ does have a Bill of Rights. And though it's rather unusual in a Parliamentary system and arguably "toothless", it was mentioned in this opinion!
Now, looking at this series of events: the use of the NZ equivalent of a "SWAT team" in order to take an allleged copyright infringer (with no history of violent crime) into custody (how much did that show of force cost the NZ taxpayer?), and the way they handled the evidence, it's the US that seems to be lacking procedural safeguards. Or maybe they are just ignoring them.
NZ is now put in the strange position of reviewing the actions of the country which is supposed to be the "world leader" in concepts like freedom from unlawful seizures of property; heck, they inspired NZ to adopt a Bill of Rights!
Wozniak was recently in NZ and visited Dotcom.
At least one prominent NZ musician has stated he's behind Dotcom's cause.
Whether or not it was intentional it seems the way this case was handled by whomever was making the decisions is backfiring on them on the public relations front.
No, we don't have a Bill of Rights. We have no supreme law. Nor should we. That just drags large, societal disputes into the courts rather than the democratically elected Parliament. That means that the highest courts become political battlefields. See also political appointments to the USA's Supreme Court.
The Bill of Rights Act and the Human Rights Act are ordinary law. If a future Parliament wanted to breach the rights provided in those statutes, they need to face the political force of doing so.
Now, looking at this series of events: the use of the NZ equivalent of a "SWAT team" in order to take an allleged copyright infringer (with no history of violent crime) into custody (how much did that show of force cost the NZ taxpayer?), and the way they handled the evidence, it's the US that seems to be lacking procedural safeguards. Or maybe they are just ignoring them.
NZ is now put in the strange position of reviewing the actions of the country which is supposed to be the "world leader" in concepts like freedom from unlawful seizures of property; heck, they inspired NZ to adopt a Bill of Rights!
Wozniak was recently in NZ and visited Dotcom.
At least one prominent NZ musician has stated he's behind Dotcom's cause.
Whether or not it was intentional it seems the way this case was handled by whomever was making the decisions is backfiring on them on the public relations front.