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The Government has asked the Law Commission to look into whether courts should be told if a defendant has previous convictions.
The move was sparked by recent high-profile historic sex cases. Assistant Commissioner Clint Rickards and former police colleagues Brad Shipton and Bob Schollum were acquitted by a jury on March 1 on charges of kidnapping and indecently assaulting a 16-year-old girl more than 20 years ago.
Last year, the same three men were acquitted of sex charges against Rotorua woman Louise Nicholas. While Mr Rickards walked free, Shipton and Schollum went back to prison where they are serving sentences for the rape of a Mt Maunganui woman 18 years ago.
The two men's convictions were suppressed from the public and the jury in the latest case and caused an outcry when court orders were lifted.
Prime Minister Helen Clark yesterday said the Government had asked the commission to review the existing law on the extent a court in a criminal trial can be told of previous convictions and to make proposals for any changes.
Helen Clark said the commission would need to consider the impact of the Evidence Act, which comes into force this year.
It would also consider law in comparable jurisdictions such as the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada.
"We understand that the United Kingdom did make some moves in the direction of greater disclosure of an accused's previous convictions and we want to examine how that has actually worked there."
Earlier this month the PM said it was "inevitable" that the issue would be looked at and said a Government reference to the commission was a good way of "teasing out complex issues".
"It has been so controversial that one feels almost bound to take the matter further."
- NZPA
