Authorities have asked Facebook to remove a hate page on which criminals abused a colourful New Zealand judge.
The social networking giant took down the site called "We hate Judge Kevin Phillips" after the Ministry of Justice deemed it a risk to his security.
The page was aimed at the hardline district court judge known for his often withering blasts at both lawyers and defendants from the bench.
The Facebook site featured expletive-riddled comments from some people claiming to having appeared before Phillips, a former defence lawyer who sits mainly at Invercargill and Queenstown. It led with the catchline: "We have all had him once, what a c***."
By the time Facebook took down the page last month, 218 people had "liked" it.
