Kiwis win lawsuit against the state
A crowdfunded landmark lawsuit against the MIQ (Managed isolation and quarantine) system that has been widely praised by the New Zealand government ultimately resulted in a victory for the Grounded Kiwis and the people in the Supreme Court.
A hefty downer for Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
The MIQ system meant that all borders were closed and New Zealanders stranded abroad were no longer allowed to enter their own country, but through a kind of online lottery system they were drawn by lottery to be admitted little by little and taken to these MIQ facilities.
This created inhumane situations. Families were torn apart. Students accepted at a particular university were unable to apply. Elderly people who just had to see how they survived abroad. Suicides, traumas.
These are all obvious consequences of such stupid laws and it just goes to show that governments have no compassion whatsoever for the people.
The Supreme Court investigated New Zealand's COVID-19 quarantine regime and dealt a blow to the government with this conviction.
New Zealand, led by Jacinda Ardern, closed its borders during the “pandemic” and banned tens of thousands of its own citizens from entering the country. This while non-citizens were brought in by the MIQ system for nationals of the country.
According to the government, the system operated like a “fair random lottery”, but The Bill of Rights explicitly grants the right to enter New Zealand as a New Zealander at all times.
The judge criticized the government's inability to quarantine Kiwis in their own country.
“Every New Zealand citizen has the right to enter New Zealand”, Judge Mallon began her 140-page verdict with the statement.
“It is a fundamental freedom that can only be restricted by the state in New Zealand if that limit is prescribed by law and demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.”
“Some New Zealanders experienced unreasonable delays in exercising their right to enter. The MIQ system did not have an adequate mechanism to identify them.” said Justice Mallon.
“The virtual lobby did not prioritize New Zealand citizens over non-citizens.”
Because of this lottery system, New Zealand citizens kept missing the boat and had no prospect of when they could eventually return to their own country. The lottery started all over again.
Now you should know that the MIQ system was stamped into the heads of the Kiwis through heavy propaganda via, among others, the media.
The government-lauded MIQ (Managed isolation and quarantine) system has been promoted in the media as the best thing that ever happened to New Zealand. Politicians behaved like our own Hugo de Jonge with his dances with Jansen and Frikandellen stories.
Now that a judge has condemned their much-loved system as "inadequate", they're looking like a joker and it's seen as a big middle finger from the people towards the government.
“Month after month, New Zealanders were shocked by the extraordinary suffering inflicted on many people as a result of the MIQ lottery”, said 38-year-old opposition spokesman Chris Bishop, a member of the New Zealand National Party and vehemently opposed to anything related to corona.
The judge was still lenient with the government. She recognized that a system was needed for public health.
But she made mincemeat out of the beloved MIQ system.
“The emergency allocation process as it worked was an inadequate method of ensuring New Zealanders were able to return,” said the judge.
“It was inevitable that the system would work unfairly in individual cases.”
The judge's conclusion has a total of 104 pages. The spokesperson and one of the Grounded Kiwis lawyers Alexandra Birt commented on the outcome and said the group was delighted. “It was an emotionally beautiful day for many.”
“We posted the result to our Facebook group, and seeing all the responses coming in brings back for many people the trauma of what they went through trying to get back to NZ,” said Birt.
“Having legal recognition now that this inhumane system that violates human rights is being condemned by the Supreme Court is a very important step in coming to terms with what has happened to them.”
The next step in the process is to obtain provision from the court in the form of a statement.
“We hope that from a relief effort perspective we will be able to get the recognition that we have been asking for from the government all along, that they should have done better and defend the rights of New Zealand citizens to enter their country. to come and protect”said Birt.
Chief defense attorney for the Grounded Kiwis, Paul Radich, said more time is needed to consider the detailed court decision, but the group was satisfied with the outcome.
“The impact on New Zealand citizens stranded abroad while our borders were closed to all but a small number of people is devastating”said Radich.
The Supreme Court decision was released yesterday by Judge Mallon, who predicted a delay at the end of the two-day judicial review on Feb. 15 due to the sheer amount of information involved in the complicated hearing.
Sources:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/inevitable-that-the-system-would-operate-unjustly-grounded-kiwis-fight-against-miq-ends-in-high-court-win/OCYSA3UTLNRPXAW2DMA2SZSSZA/
https://7news.com.au/news/public-health/nz-high-court-covid-rules-not-justified-c-6595052
