Jury set to decide Field's fate

A jury this morning will resume deliberating the fate of former MP Taito Phillip Field who is facing criminal charges.

The jury, in the High Court at Auckland, retired for the weekend at 4.35pm on Friday.

Before they left the courtroom, Justice Rodney Hansen reminded the six women and four men it was critically important not to speak to anybody else about the case over the weekend.

The jurors began deliberations about 12.35pm Thursday and had considered the case for about 11 hours when they retired.

Field, the Mangere Labour MP between 1993 and 2008, faces 12 charges of bribery and corruption as an MP, alleging he accepted work on his homes from Thai tradesmen in return for giving them immigration help.

He also faces 23 charges of wilfully attempting to obstruct or pervert the course of justice, alleging he tried to derail investigations into his dealings with the Thai tradesmen.

The jurors are required to reach a verdict unanimously as the trial began before a new law came into force allowing a verdict to be reached even if there is one dissenter.

Protesters interrupted proceedings at the trial on Thursday.

They returned to the courthouse on Friday, where there was a brief confrontation between them, court staff and police as they tried to film themselves saying a prayer inside the buildings about 10.30am.

Filming is not permitted without permission inside court buildings.

The confrontation ended without anybody being ejected from the court buildings.

- NZPA