Wanganui Council to meet over gang patch ruling

File photo /Supplied

Wanganui District Council will meet today to discuss its gang patch ban which was ruled illegal by the High Court last week.

The Hells Angels gang sought a judicial review of the ban, arguing the bylaw - banning the wearing of gang insignia in public in Whanganui - was invalid.

Justice Denis Clifford said last week he had reached the same conclusion.

The bylaw did not specify to which public places the ban applied and was therefore invalid under national law.

Wanganui Mayor Annette Main said the council would meet to discuss its options today.

"There will be an item that will outline the options which are basically to accept the decision, appeal the decision or develop a new bylaw," she said.

Although the bylaw was now invalid, Ms Main said previous convictions under the bylaw would stand as they were made under the law that existed at that time.

Wanganui district councillor Michael Laws, who was mayor when the bylaw was adopted in 2009, said the High Court was wrong and he would urge the council and police to appeal today's decision.

The council had expressly considered freedom of expression issues in its debate and resolved that the wider interests of the community had sway, he said.

However, the most important finding was that the court upheld the council's right to create a bylaw, Mr Laws said.

- NZPA