Pora v The Queen
30 January 2014
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council has today (30 January 2014) announced that the Board considers that permission to appeal should be granted to Mr Pora in this case, and it will so advise Her Majesty at the next meeting of the Privy Council.
Mr Pora's appeal will be heard at the JCPC courtroom in central London. It is expected to be listed for hearing over three days during the autumn of 2014 (precise dates to be confirmed).
Pora (Appellant) v The Queen (Respondent)
On Appeal from the Court of Appeal of New Zealand
Issues
Whether the JCPC should admit and consider fresh evidence raised by the appellant; and whether a substantial miscarriage of justice was caused by the failure of the appellant's counsel to raise material points at trial and/or in the Court of Appeal.
Facts
In June 1994 the appellant was convicted as a party to the rape and murder of Susan Burdett on the basis of confessions made by the appellant. In 1995, DNA evidence linked the attack on Ms Burdett to Mr Rewa. Mr Rewa was eventually convicted of the rape of 27 women, including Ms Burdett. In 1999, the Court of Appeal quashed the appellant's convictions as a result of the DNA evidence implicating Mr Rewa and evidence that Mr Rewa acted alone. The appellant was again convicted at his retrial in 2000 and his appeal to the Court of Appeal was dismissed
.Given the high profile of this case, we will seek to make arrangements to live stream the hearing from London over the internet.