Cavalier’ Peters to pay MP $3000 court costs

Winston Peters

Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has been ordered to pay $3000 to National MP David Carter by the Court of Appeal which found he had adopted a "somewhat cavalier" attitude towards an abandoned defamation claim.

Mr Peters sued Mr Carter and TVNZ, Radio NZ and Yvonne Dosseter, the former partner of New Zealand First policy adviser Ross Meurant, for defamation over the scampi inquiry.

The action against Mr Carter related to comments he made to the media that he had received an affidavit making serious allegations about Mr Peters and had referred it to the Speaker.

The first proceedings were struck out in the High Court. An appeal was to have been heard in October but in September Mr Peters' lawyer told the court it was to be abandoned.

Mr Carter's lawyer then asked the Court of Appeal to order Mr Peters to pay his $11,633.28 legal costs.

- NZPA