The last four members of the Urewera 17 were bailed today, after spending 28 days in jail. Pre-trial remand is a common feature of our justice system, but I am disturbed that people were remanded in custody for a month on charges the police admitted they had no evidence for. Yet another example of the power of the "terrorism" word to bludgeon judges (who should be providing independent oversight and a check on state power) into giving the police everything they ask for.
The normal judicial process on the arms charges can now continue, assuming the police haven't screwed it up completely with their leaks. And given the lack of admissible evidence in many cases, many of those charges will now probably be dismissed.
No doubt the police will kick and scream and leak about this as well. But if there was actual wrongdoing, and the police didn't get solid, admissible evidence sufficient to convince a jury beyond a reasonable doubt, then they didn't do their job properly and have no-one to blame but themselves. And if, as seems more likely, they've roped in a bunch of innocent people in a broad fishing expedition in a desperate attempt to justify a years' worth of surveillance, then its entirely right that those people should be free to get on with their lives.
