Sean Plunket charges: Police apply to withdraw unlawful publishing charges against broadcaster

Police have applied to withdraw charges against broadcaster Sean Plunket. Photo / Supplied

Broadcaster Sean Plunket, who is facing charges of unlawfully publishing Family Court documents, may soon be free from prosecution.

According to a document obtained by NZME, police have applied to the District Court to withdraw all charges against Plunket.

The application will need to be decided on by a judge before the charges are formally withdrawn.

According to charging documents filed in April, the 58-year-old broadcaster was charged with two counts of publishing a report of Family Court proceedings identifying a vulnerable person.

Under the Family Court Act, any person may publish a report of proceedings of the court but that report cannot identify any person under 18 or deemed by the court to be “vulnerable”.

The term “report” includes news articles, social media posts or other written publications. Both charges carry a maximum penalty of three months imprisonment or a $2000 fine.

Today’s application, filed by police prosecutor Morgan Speight, says police recently reviewed the charges and believed “the subject of the publication does not meet the definition of a ‘vulnerable person’”.

The court considered a vulnerable person was someone who would be particularly susceptible to any adverse consequences associated with the publication of a report of the proceedings that contains identifying information.

Asked for comment, Plunket told NZME: “I don’t understand why the charges were laid in the first place.”

Plunket is the editor and founder of The Platform, an independent media company.

Previously, Plunket was a co-host of RNZ’s Morning Report programme, and had stints as a host on Newstalk ZB and Radio Live (later Magic Talk).