The Star: September 28, 2023

The Star Thursday September 28 2023
6
NEWS
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Brothers’ defence bill ‘disgusting’ and
• From page 1
“The fact that whatever a
percentage of my money is going
towards them fighting (the legal
case) . . . is pretty disgusting.
“They’ve taken the rights of
women away and now they are
legally allowed to consume taxpayer
money too.”
Brown had initially believed
the Jaz brothers’ defence was
privately funded.
Although the victims were
paid for their time when giving
evidence during the trial and
offered some counselling from
a sexual assault charity, Brown
said for her the counselling did
not work out.
“I appreciate what they (victim
support) did for us when
testifying for the trial, like going
through booking travel and
organising to come down to the
court, they tried to make it as
easy as possible.
“But I do feel like more should
be done. I had questions about
whether if they do go to jail will
they have to pay the victims.”
Some of the survivors had to
move out of Christchurch Brown
said, or fund their own counselling.
“Where’s that financial aid?
Why shouldn’t the brothers
be paying for the counselling
services that they’ve put on these
girls.”
DISGUSTED: Survivor Sophie Brown believes more should have been done to help victims
of the Jaz brothers’ crimes.
PHOTO: NZ HERALD
Victim advocate Ruth Money
said while everyone was entitled
to a fair defence the bill was
“absolutely obscene”.
“If only the brave victim
survivors could access even 10
per cent of it to help them with
the therapy required after the
offenders’ assaults,” she said.
“Victims have to wait years
and years and self-fund most of
their help themselves – and yet
predators receive these extortionate
rates of support from the
state.”
The basis for the Jaz brothers’
appeals has not yet been outlined
and no court date has been set.
The brothers both received
legal aid for two separate teams
of lawyers to represent them in
court as they defended the raft of
charges against them.
Details of the legal aid payments
were requested under the
Official Information Act.
The brothers’ case was before
the court for five years, during
which time they appeared at
various pretrial hearings and
challenged several district court
rulings in higher jurisdictions,
including name suppression
decisions.
Legal aid is funded by the
Ministry of Justice and can be
granted to defendants who need
a lawyer but cannot afford one.
To qualify for legal aid in a
criminal case, a defendant has to
be charged with an offence that
could be punished with a prison
term of six months or more.
Legal aid is also available for
offenders appealing.
The Jaz brothers both applied
for and were granted legal aid,
qualifying under the guidelines
for the service.
Until they were arrested they
worked at the bar and restaurant
– solely owned by their father
Michael Jaz – Danny as a manager
and Roberto as a chef.
He left New Zealand owing
more than $235,000 to creditors
after his hospitality empire collapsed
due to his sons’ offending.
As of August 31 – six days after
Danny and Roberto Jaz were
sentenced – their lawyers had
been paid a total of $896,517.21
from the legal aid coffers.
Of that, $498,214.44 was paid
to lawyers acting for Danny Jaz
and the remaining $398,302.77
to Roberto Jaz’s legal team.
“These are the current figures
based on invoices received to
date,” said Tracey Baguley,
the Ministry of Justice’s group
manager for national service
delivery.
“Please note that the legal aid
files remain open and further
invoices may be received, so
these amounts are subject to
change.”
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