NZ Pilot Legal Bill
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NZ Pilot Legal Bill
The following article appeared in a NZ daily on Thursday 14 June.
Its a "small" price to pay for the knowledge that I belong to a great union in a great profession and that if I or a colleague of mine gets into a terrible situation like Gary got into that this is the support we can expect. Well done Gary and NZALPA.
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Defending former Ansett pilot Garry Sotheran against manslaughter charges has cost airline pilots about $750,000.
Mr Sotheran was found not guilty of four charges of manslaughter and three charges of injuring passengers in the High Court at Palmerston North two weeks ago. The charges related to the crash of an Ansett Dash-8 aircraft flown by Mr Sotheran in hills near Palmerston North in June 1995.
His legal team was led by prominent Wellington Queen's Counsel Hugh Rennie. QCs, regarded as the cream of the legal profession, command the highest fees.
New Zealand Airline Pilots Association will pay Mr Sotheran's legal fees. Vice-president Paul Lyons said today the association had still to receive final bills but it would be something like $750,000.
The association was prepared to defend its members to the maximum." The charges were so serious we . . . put absolutely everything into it."
The bill would be partially met through legal liability insurance but would still put "considerable financial strain" on the association.
Charges were laid against Sotheran in March last year. The association's lawyers and staff had been working on the case since, Mr Lyons said.
Its a "small" price to pay for the knowledge that I belong to a great union in a great profession and that if I or a colleague of mine gets into a terrible situation like Gary got into that this is the support we can expect. Well done Gary and NZALPA.
****************************************
Defending former Ansett pilot Garry Sotheran against manslaughter charges has cost airline pilots about $750,000.
Mr Sotheran was found not guilty of four charges of manslaughter and three charges of injuring passengers in the High Court at Palmerston North two weeks ago. The charges related to the crash of an Ansett Dash-8 aircraft flown by Mr Sotheran in hills near Palmerston North in June 1995.
His legal team was led by prominent Wellington Queen's Counsel Hugh Rennie. QCs, regarded as the cream of the legal profession, command the highest fees.
New Zealand Airline Pilots Association will pay Mr Sotheran's legal fees. Vice-president Paul Lyons said today the association had still to receive final bills but it would be something like $750,000.
The association was prepared to defend its members to the maximum." The charges were so serious we . . . put absolutely everything into it."
The bill would be partially met through legal liability insurance but would still put "considerable financial strain" on the association.
Charges were laid against Sotheran in March last year. The association's lawyers and staff had been working on the case since, Mr Lyons said.
