Patricia Morrison (pictured: see link below) volunteered to help out half a day a week at Arohata Women’s Prison Library in 2002. Her book knowledge soon became apparent and she was invited to help set up a library at Rimutaka Prison which then had 500 inmates, but no library facility. Since then she has been a library volunteer working half a day a week at either Rimutaka or Mount Crawford, more correctly known as Wellington Prison. Morrison doesn’t have a title: “I’m just known as the neat lady who gets books.” Eight years later, this involvement with prison library services sees her undertaking two projects – first a relatively major spend on new books to increase the size of prison and correctional facilities libraries throughout the country, and second a review of all those 20 libraries, from Ngawha in Northland to the southernmost in Invercargill, including the three prisons for women. For full report dated 20 May 2010 see: http://www.booksellers.co.nz/book-news/trade-news/prison-project-former-bookseller
Cheyenne Insurance Company (NZ) Ltd: When is an ‘insurance’ company a real insurance company?
On 7 September 2010 the Insurance (Prudential Supervision) Act 2010 was approved by the NZ Parliament and received the Royal Assent. It embodies a wide range of legislative reforms that are well overdue and are overwhelmingly supported by industry members. Under s. 219 and 220 of the Act it is an offence for a company to use in its name any of the following words, unless the company is legitimately engaged in lawful insurance transactions, those words being “insurance”, “assurance”, “underwriter”, and “reinsurance” or words with identical meanings.
So where does this leave privately owned so-called ‘insurance’ companies such as the obscure entity Cheyenne Insurance Company (NZ) Ltd that are not lawfully entitled to engage in any insurance transactions, and which appear to have been largely operating in property development transactions in New Zealand, largely based in Central Otago?
Cheyenne Insurance, directed by American businessman John M Carr CPA (see photo – http://www.carr.co.nz/images/jmc.jpg) since 24 May 1991 and owned by him since 26 July 1990, has never deposited the required security (minimum $500,000) with the NZ Public Trust that would entitle it to lawfully engage in insurance transactions in New Zealand under the Insurance Companies’ Deposits Act 1953. Then what exactly is it doing in New Zealand? [Read more…]
James Mason "Court win looks possible for dad"
A COURT victory may finally be in sight for a man waiting to see if his conviction will be overturned for assaulting his misbehaving four-year old son.
Father-of-six James Mason, 52, a hotel maintenance man and musician, said being convicted had gutted him.
Dominion Post Wednesday 20 October p. A6. www.dompost.co.nz
SATIRE: John Keyhole’s assault conviction overturned
MEDIA RELEASE: Satirists for Section 59 Debate
Judge Fairmind has granted an “honourable discharge without conviction” to All Black and political satirist John Keyhole, 50, recently convicted by a Christchurch District Court jury of assaulting his four year-old son in a public park. This “U-turn” as recent callers to Christchurch radio talk-back are calling it, came about this morning after the Judge learnt for the first time that Keyhole is actually a current member of the All Blacks, albeit a lesser know entity within the squad (see Full Squad Photo in today’s Dominion Post Bendon Underwear Colour Supplement, Page A3: Keyhole is next to the leggy, honey-blonde).
Full report see http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0906/S00032.htm
Continued below
James Mason case a ‘Miscarriage of Justice’ – NZPA
The Crown solicitor David Collins QC has conceded there was a miscarriage of justice in the trial of a Christchurch musician who was convicted of assaulting his four-year-old son. This is because the trial judge had not directed the jury to reach a unanimous verdict on both elements of the alleged offence – the ‘ear-flick’ (which Mason admits did occur) and the ‘punch’ (which he has adamantly and consistently denied).
James Louis Mason was found guilty at a Christchurch District Court trial last year of punching his son in the face and pulling his ear in December 2007…..
[Mason appealed to the Supreme Court, where he was represented yesterday by Wellington barrister Greg King].
For full report see: http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/christchurch/4247580/Miscarriage-of-justice-in-Mason-case