Michael Swann, the former Information Technology Manager of the Otago District Health Board, was ordered by Justice Graham Panckhurst to pay $6 million to the Crown and to forfeit $4.4 million of properties, in lieu of the money he had stolen from the Board.

An appeal by Bridgecorp’s ex-Director Bruce Davidson has been discarded by the High Court. Mr. Davidson, who was a Director of six firms in the Bridgecorp group, was barred from being a director, promoter or manager of a business for two and a half years, when the group crumpled in 2007.

The new law framed by the Queenstown Lakes District Council to keep the mouths shut on the contentious issue of Airport share sale was criticized by a top lawyer of New Zealand.

A media law and elections expert, Hugh Rennie, Wellington QC, expressed that he did not agree with such a law that barred one to speak over certain issues. He claimed that candidates have right to speak freely. The advice was put forward by QLDC lawyer Mactodd this week.

Within a week of the striking down of the 2005 California law on free-speech grounds, the Supreme Court Monday agreed to decide whether California and six other states – Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Washington - can prohibit the sale of violent video games to the under-18s.

The law has been blocked on the basis of a free-speech challenge filed by the video gaming industry.

Following the reports that Australia’s property market has been crowned with the title of most expensive market due to Asian and other foreign cash flowing in, the Rudd Government on Saturday stated decided to tighten its regulations on foreign buyers.
The rules that were loosened in 2008 have been reemployed by the Government.

A multi-million dollar lawsuit has been filed against a doctor for damaging a bosom-boosting surgery on a 47-year-old woman.