The High Court's Associate Judge Jeremy Doogue this week rejected an application by Bryers to be examined via video-link.
Bryers said him needing to come back to New Zealand would cause harm to his family and negatively impact on his extended family's "financial well-being".
Bryers said he was concerned there would be " negative publicity" accompanying his return to New Zealand which could turn his examination "into a media spectacle", according to the judge's decision.
"He says that in the past when he has been back in New Zealand he was subjected to unfavourable and defamatory media coverage and that lead to him being subjected to 'considerable harrasment' by members of the public outside the Auckland courts and physical threats being made against him and his family on the internet," Associate Judge Doogue said.
The former Blue Chip boss was fearful of "intimidation and harassment" he would be subjected to if he was required return, the decision said.
He said the estimated $24,000 cost of the video-link could be covered by arrangements with his employer, the judge understood.
But Associate Judge Doogue did not consider there was "any realistic hazard of Mr Bryers being assaulted or intimidated at the Court".
"It is not unnatural that there will be media interest...it is possible that a number of members of the public would want to attend the hearing. While those sorts of factors may make Mr Bryers uncomfortable, in my view, it is the price that has to be paid for the hearing taking place in public under an open system of justice," the judge said.
On balance, the judge said he did not consider it would be the correct exercise of discretion to "essentially excuse him [Bryers] from attending the court and to appear by video-link".
This decision, in effect, means Bryers will have to turn up to the High Court at Auckland in person to undergo the public examination if he wants to be discharged from bankruptcy.
Bryers was the co-founder of the collapsed Blue Chip property investment company, which targeted people concerned about retirement. Thousands of people invested with it and were left out-of-pocket after Blue Chip's collapse.
He admitted 34 charges in 2010, including for book- and record-keeping failures under the Companies Act and the Financial Reporting Act.
He was sentenced to 75 hours' community work and a fine of $37,500, which was reportedly left unpaid until 2012.
