22 June 2022
Attention: Andrew Li
By email:
[FYI request #19449 email]
Dear Andrew
OIA Request for information under the Official Information Act 1982
Our Ref: OIA353/1
We acknowledge receipt of your email of 24 May 2022 seeking all documents held by
Crown Law that could relate to a decision to drop charges against William Gannin Ormsby
for sexual violation and indecent assault, and assault with intent to commit sexual
violation against a woman. We have treated your request as a request made under the
Official Information Act 1982 (
OIA).
Information held by Crown Law Office
Crown Law was not directly involved in the prosecution of Mr Ormsby. We can, however,
confirm that Crown Law holds related files. We have treated some of the documents in
those files as falling within the scope of your request.
Crown Law accepts it is subject to the OIA. However, in this case the information you
have requested was largely generated as part of the office’s Law Officer role and
therefore falls outside the OIA.1
Where the OIA does apply, the information is withheld as it is legally privileged (s 9(h)).
Without prejudice to that position, however, we can advise you that the charges you
refer to were dismissed by the court due to insufficiency of evidence. We do not hold any
information which would support your contention that Ms Mahuta had some
involvement in the dismissal of those charges.
If you would like more information about the court case, you may apply to access the
court record. An application form can be found at:
https://www.justice.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Forms/MOJ0148.2-Sept-2021-
Application-for-access-to-court-docs-updated-v0.6.pdf.
1 See for example
: https://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/sites/default/files/2019-03/335331_-
_request_for_info_re_bain_compensation_claim.pdf and https://www.crownlaw.govt.nz/about-us/law-officers/.
Level 3 Justice C entre, 19 Aitken Street, Wellington 6011 | PO Box 2858 or DX SP20208, Wellington 6140, New Zealand | +64 4 472 1719 | crownlaw.govt.nz
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2
Review of this decision
In accordance with s 19 of the OIA, you have a right to complain to the Ombudsman
under s 28(3) of the OIA about this decision.
Yours faithfully
Crown Law
J Mara
Crown Counsel
6887149_1