This is similarly happening to Lawrie. See how corrupt courts here now are!
A more balanced commentary on this story (both for and against) can be found on New Zealand’s most widely-visited Blog site:
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2008/06/vince_siemer.html
Stiassny sues, wins close to $1m for defamation
4:00AM Saturday Jan 31, 2009 [Full Court Judgment can be found on www.kiwisfirst.co.nz]
Auckland businessman Michael Stiassny has been awarded nearly $1 million in one of the country’s biggest defamation cases.
In his decision released in the High Court at Auckland Justice, Mark Cooper ordered American businessman Vincent Siemer to pay Vector chairman Michael Stiassny $920,000 for defamatory comments stretching back to 2005. This verdict followed a private trial where Mr Siemer was debarred from defending himself and had his statement of defence inexplicably struck out by another Judge who had earlier ruled the defence had merit. Judge Cooper ignored the original publications – supported by postings of Stiassny’s own documents – in favour of testimony from Stiassny which spoke of how hard the publicity had been on his children.
At least three Judges who now sit on the same Court as Cooper J were formerly Stiassny’s lawyers. The purely factual legal claim was determined by the Court to be too difficult for a Jury and was decided by Judge alone.
Cooper’s judgment was immediately appealed to the New Zealand Court of Appeal by Siemer. Particularly egregious was the Judge’s juxtapositioning of unrelated phrases about Hitler (used in the context of 4 dictators who imposed their will over the Courts as a means to power) and Stiassny’s Jewish heritage (in the context of Stiassny business and religious associations in a completely unrelated article). This resulted, according to the Judge, in ‘vile, racist abuse” by Mr Siemer. Mr Stiassny was not cross-examined and the Judge asked him no questions.
Justice Cooper dwelled on Stiassny’s emotional testimony to declare that Mr Siemer had led protests outside the home of Mr Stiassny, whose children suffered harassment by their peers.
“Mr Siemer has acted deliberately, vindictively and has added to his defamatory statements as time has gone on,” the judge said.
Mr Stiassny had been appointed as a receiver of Mr Siemer’s firm, Paragon Services, in July 2001, a receivership which was revoked by the Court 7 months later.
During the escalating dispute, Mr Siemer and his supporters posted derogatory remarks about Mr Stiassny on websites, conducted a letter-writing campaign and distributed notices and stickers around Auckland.
Mr Siemer has appealed against the decision to the Court of Appeal. An affidavit in support of the appeal said the judge erred in fact and law and “engaged in what an impartial observer might likely consider an unprincipled and materially-deceptive summary of the facts”.
Mr Siemer said he had been bankrupted in New Zealand but had money in the United States.
“All Stiassny has to do to collect is to take it for review in the US courts.”
Mr Stiassny said he did not expect to receive any money from Mr Siemer, who had put his assets in trust.
– NZ HERALD, NZPA