TV company wins injunction

Press, 20 July 1984, Page 4

TV company wins injunction

PA Auckland A private television contender, ITV, has won an interim injunction after challenging the right of the outgoing Government to call warrant applications five days before the election. The effect of the decision will be to delay the introduction of regional private television. In a written decision released in the High Court at Auckland yesterday, Mr Justice Tompkins granted the. injunction against the Attorney-General, sued on behalf of the Minister of Broadcasting, Dr Shearer, and the Broadcasting Tribunal. Impact Television, Ltd, sought an injunction and challenged the Govern-

ment’s right to call for warrant applications, saying it acted unconstitutionally. His Honour said the case involved complex issues and the difficult questions of statutory interpretation of an act that had not, so far as he was aware, been subject to prior judicial interpretation. It was necessary to make an interim injunction order to preserve the position for ITV until the case could be tried. He said the order would delay the introduction of regional private television but it was preferable in the public interest that the validity of the Government’s direction be determined. His Honour ordered a judicial conference with a view to having the case determined as early as possible.