R v Greening - [1991] 1 NZLR 110

Criminal law — Practice and procedure — Discovery — Disclosure before trial of personal information held by police concerning potential jurors — Police obtained details of whether potential jurors had criminal convictions from the Wanganui Computer — Accused requested that information — Police refused and accused made application to the trial Judge for a direction disclosing that information — Whether the police would be acting unlawfully in ascertaining from the Wanganui Computer whether any potential jurors had criminal convictions — Whether the disclosure would be likely to prejudice the right to a fair trial so as to constitute good reason for withholding the information — Whether the withholding of the information is necessary to protect the privacy of natural persons — Observations as to the desirability of the practice of the Crown in obtaining the criminal histories of potential jurors from the Wanganui computer — Wanganui Computer Centre Act 1976, ss 4(3), 4B and schedule — Official Information Act 1982, ss 4(c), 5, 6(c) and 9.