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{\pntxtb (}{\pntxta )}}\pard\plain \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\tqr\tx10854\nooverflow\faroman\rin0\lin0\itap0 \fs20\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {\b\fs24\insrsid10298468 IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE COOK ISLANDS\line }{
\fs24\insrsid10298468 CA 156/93
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\tx6030\tqr\tx10800\nooverflow\faroman\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\fs24\insrsid10298468 
\par BETWEEN
\par 
\par }{\b\fs24\insrsid10298468 PUPUKE ROBATI\line }{\fs24\insrsid10298468 Plaintiff
\par 
\par AND
\par }{\b\fs24\insrsid10298468 
\par THE PRIVILEGES STANDING COMMITTEE\line }{\fs24\insrsid10298468 of The Parliament of The Cook Islands\line First Defendant
\par 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\tx6060\tqr\tx10800\nooverflow\faroman\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\fs24\insrsid10298468 AND
\par 
\par }{\b\fs24\insrsid10298468 THE SPEAKER\line }{\fs24\insrsid10298468 of the Parliament of the Cook Islands\line Second Defendant
\par }\pard \qj \li0\ri0\widctlpar\tx6060\tqr\tx10800\nooverflow\faroman\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\fs24\insrsid10298468 
\par }\pard \qj \li0\ri0\widctlpar\tx3945\tqr\tx10800\nooverflow\faroman\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\fs24\insrsid10298468 Coram: Quilliam JA (Presiding)\line Barker JA\line Dillon JA
\par 
\par }\pard \qj \li0\ri0\widctlpar\tx3960\tqr\tx10800\nooverflow\faroman\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\fs24\insrsid10298468 Counsel: Mr McFadzi}{\fs24\insrsid9967306 en, Solicitor General, and\line Dr G}{\fs24\insrsid10298468 P Barton QC }{\fs24\insrsid9967306 
for the defendants in support\line B}{\fs24\insrsid10298468 H Giles, MC Mitchell and Mrs SRA Anderson for the plaintiff to oppose
\par 
\par }\pard \qj \li0\ri0\widctlpar\tx3945\tqr\tx10800\nooverflow\faroman\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\fs24\insrsid10298468 Hearing: 17 December 1993\line Date of Judgment: February 1994
\par }\pard \qj \li0\ri0\widctlpar\tx4365\tqr\tx10800\nooverflow\faroman\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\fs24\insrsid10298468 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\tqr\tx10854\nooverflow\faroman\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\b\fs24\insrsid10298468 JUDGMENT OF BARKER JA
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\tqr\tx10854\nooverflow\faroman\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\fs24\insrsid10298468 
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\nooverflow\faroman\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\fs24\insrsid10298468 I agree with the judgment of Quilliam JA which I have read in advance. However, in view of the importance of the issue, I add some observations of my own.
\par 
\par Quilliam JA's judgment sets out the relevant constitutional provisions, and the allegations in the statement of claim which the defendants seek to have struck out. It is not necessary therefore for me to reproduce these.
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\tqr\tx10854\nooverflow\faroman\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\fs24\insrsid10298468 
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\nooverflow\faroman\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\fs24\insrsid10298468 Nor is it necessary to discuss the hallowed English authority of }{\i\fs24\insrsid10298468 Bradlaugh v Gossett}{\fs24\insrsid10298468  (18}{\fs24\insrsid12928492 81) 1
2 Q}{\fs24\insrsid10298468 BD 271, accepted in all Commonwealth jurisdictions where the matter of Parliamentary privilege has been considered by the Courts.
\par 
\par The essential point is to distinguish between "the intra-mural deliberative activities of the Parliament" and "the constitutionally}{\fs24\insrsid9967306  required process." Barwick CJ i}{\fs24\insrsid10298468 n }{\i\fs24\insrsid10298468 Cormack v Cope}{
\fs24\insrsid10298468 , (1974), 131 CLR 432, 453, was the author of the expressions just used. He was referring to the process of law making but his comments apply to the constitutionally required processes:
\par 
\par }\pard \ql \li720\ri0\widctlpar\tx1800\tqr\tx10800\nooverflow\faroman\rin0\lin720\itap0\pararsid12928492 {\fs24\insrsid10298468 (a) that Par
liament, within its intra-mural deliberative activities tries persons for offences which were offences at the time of commission; and
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\tqr\tx10965\nooverflow\faroman\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid9967306 {\fs24\insrsid10298468 
\par }\pard \ql \li720\ri0\widctlpar\tx1815\tqr\tx10800\nooverflow\faroman\rin0\lin720\itap0\pararsid12928492 {\fs24\insrsid10298468 (b) that the punishment imposed by Parliament be one which comes within the limits that Parliament had placed on itself. 
The Court can interfere only when the constitutionally required process has not been honoured.
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\tqr\tx10965\nooverflow\faroman\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\fs24\insrsid10298468 
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\nooverflow\faroman\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\fs24\insrsid10298468 The landmark case in the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe, }{\i\fs24\insrsid10298468 Smith v Mutasa}{\fs24\insrsid10298468 
 (1990) 1 LRC (Const) 87 is totally appropriate since Zimbabwe, like the Cook Islands, has a w
ritten constitution. The Court held it could interfere where a Parliamentary Privileges Committee had imposed a penalty which, under the relevant legislation, the Committee had no power to impose. The Court made clear that it could not interfere with the 
p
rocess whereby a Parliamentary Committee dealt with a member, provided its processes were valid in law, and that the penalty was one open to the Committee to impose. However, in this case, it is alleged by the plaintiff that there was no offence in existe
nce at the time of the incident for which he appeared before Parliament, and, more importantly, that there was no power for the Parliament to impose an indefinite suspension.
\par 
\par Counsel for the defendants sought to distinguish }{\i\fs24\insrsid10298468 Smith v Mutasa}{\fs24\insrsid10298468  on the basis ther
e was no equivalent in Zimbabwe to Article 47(2) of the Cook Islands Constitution. I fail to see how that omission is material. Counsel submitted that, in s36(1) of the Constitution, the word "valid" should be inserted before the word "proceedings" if the
 plaintiff were to succeed. I do not find this result surprising. It is a necessary consequence of holding that the Constitution entitles the Court to consider whether Parliament is acting within its rights.
\par 
\par As was pointed out in }{\i\fs24\insrsid10298468 Mutasa's}{\fs24\insrsid10298468  case, the Court c
an declare whether or not a particular matter comes within the scope of Parliamentary privilege, but the control of Parliament over internal proceedings is absolute on the }{\i\fs24\insrsid10298468 Bradlaugh v Gossett}{\fs24\insrsid10298468  authority.

\par 
\par So far as the recommendation that the plaintiff apol
ogise, the Committee could doubtless make a recommendation but it had no power of punishment if the recommendation were not accepted by the plaintiff. The right to counsel before the Parliamentary Committee was a matter for the internal forum of Parliamen
t; it is not something which the Courts can consider.
\par 
\par I agree with Quilliam JA that the defendants' application should be dismissed. I express the hope that a sensible resolution of this matter can now eventuate without the need for continuing the litigati
on. Apart from anything else, it is unfortunate that the citizens in the electorate represented by the plaintiff should be deprived of representation in Parliament because Parliament has imposed a suspension on their member which it was not entitled to im
pose.
\par 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\tx2160\tqr\tx10800\nooverflow\faroman\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\b\fs24\insrsid10298468 BARKER JA
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\tx2160\tqr\tx10800\nooverflow\faroman\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\fs24\insrsid10298468 
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\tqr\tx10860\nooverflow\faroman\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\fs24\ul\insrsid10298468 Solicitors}{\fs24\insrsid10298468\charrsid6584289 :}{\fs24\ul\insrsid10298468 
\par }{\fs24\insrsid10298468 MC Mitchell & Co, Avarua for plaintiff
\par Crown Law Office, Avarua for defendants
\par }}