The trial of the Urewera 18 is likely to be delayed until next year, after the Supreme Court advised that it would not be able to resolve questions over the admissibility of evidence before the trial date was due to start. Which means the accused are going to be looking at a four year wait for a trial. Quite apart from justice delayed being justice denied, and the memories of witnesses fading over that time, the accused are also subject to bail conditions which have limited their freedom of association, movement and expression beyond what is strictly necessary to ensure attendance at trial. And they're now looking at a continuation of this extrajudicial punishment, thanks to the government's insistence on trying them all at once.
The good news is that there will be plenty of time for the Supreme Court to rule on the jury issue.
