Bastion Pt jailing disputed

Press, 22 October 1983, Page 19

Bastion Pt jailing disputed

PA Auckland Eleven people interrupted business at the District Court at Auckland yesterday in protest at the jailing of a Bastion Point protester by Judge Nicholson on Wednesday. Hugh Convery, aged 67, was sentenced to three days’ jail for non-payment of a 5100 fine and ?50 costs after being convicted for trespassing at Bastion Point last year. At the start of Judge

Nicholson's sitting yesterday, a spokesman for the Prisoners’ Action Group, Mr Marx Jones, stood up and said: “We are disgusted at the way you treated Hugh Convery and we intend to take the matter further. We will be going down to see the registrar now.” The group, which represented a number of organisations including HART, CARE, and the Waitangi Action Committee, then left the courtroom.

Outside, Mr Jones said

they had asked the court registrar for an investigation into the ‘’soundness” of Judge Nicholson’s decision to jail Convery.

Mr Jones said it was a harsh sentence, considering Convery was “an old guy” who had been “quite nervous about the whole thing.”

The Judge had not called for a probation or doctor's report, said Mr Jones. The registrar, Mr A. J. McGuffog, said he had told the group to put their complaint in writing.