The end is in sight
June 29th, 2010 at 9:45 am by David FarrarThe Herald reports:
Former Radio New Zealand news boss Lynne Snowdon has lost the latest appeal in her nearly six-year legal tussle with the state broadcaster, and the Court of Appeal is insisting “the procedural music must stop”.
About time.
Ms Snowdon was sacked in April 2005 after almost two years on sick leave – and full pay of about $120,000 a year. She had fallen out with Sharon Crosbie, the then chief executive, over allegations of financial mismanagement.
After Ms Snowdon was fired, she lodged a personal grievance case in the Employment Court against RNZ for unjustified dismissal.
She began separate proceedings in March last year to have three previous Employment Court judgments set aside. They concerned discovery – the court rules relating to access to documents held by an opposing party.
Ms Snowdon claimed fraudulent discovery, arguing that RNZ had provided altered or false documents in its case against her, and that some documents had been deleted or destroyed. RNZ denied the allegations. …
In its ruling released yesterday, the Court of Appeal dismissed Ms Snowdon’s appeal and ordered her to pay costs.
Justice William Young said the allegations of fraudulent discovery were “a subset of the broader complaints” against the broadcaster.
The grievance case had been before the courts “for many years” and Ms Snowdon’s appeal would have further delayed the proceedings.
“We are of the view that the time has come for the procedural music to stop,” Justice Young said.
Two years of full pay, and six years of legal expenses. Incredible.
June 29th, 2010 at 10:02 am
First (alleged) financial mismanagement. Then two years of being paid to do nothing. And then six years of legal. The woman is a value destruction machine. And all because she fell out with her boss.
Love to know how much legal aid she’s received on top of all the other benefits.
Vote:June 29th, 2010 at 10:15 am
“Two years of full pay, and six years of legal expenses. Incredible.”
mental illness.
This woman didn’t just wander in off the street, choose an office and get to it. Nothing happens in isolation. The same traits she displays now must have been desirable at time of hiring, though perhaps in a lesser form. Much as employers like to blame everything on employees when shit turns to custard, the game is played between two parties.
Vote:June 29th, 2010 at 10:19 am
Perhaps she was done an injustice.
If so, doesn’t she have the right to pursue redress?
If there was an injustice, her personal and professional reputation were shredded. She’d be lucky to get a job at a checkout.
Vote:June 29th, 2010 at 10:23 am
It is time for New Zealand to strengthen actions for unjust enrichment, especially looking to issues of unconscionability. But then, I have a Roman law bias, although I deny supporting a return to crucifixion as a punishment for littering offences.
Vote:June 29th, 2010 at 10:52 am
Ok, so let’s think about this and assume that she has been grossly mistreated. The kind of remedy she would be looking at would be $20k, 3 months salary ($30k) and maybe a contribution to costs – hard to say in the employment context but let’s go nuts and say $60k. So the win could be $50k and costs offset by $60k – costs of 6 years in court? It would have to be a damn site more than $110k. Insane.
And that’s without even looking at the merits of the case. Most agreements allow dismissal for illness – one might well think that two years of sick leave could lead to a view that an employee was no longer able to do the job they were employed to do.
Grant – crucifixion should only be used for spammers. And maybe recidivist taggers.
Vote:June 29th, 2010 at 11:09 am
It’s the employer’s fault when they hire these bolshy stubborn women… but why is it always state-funded organisations or charities that give jobs to the useless and corrupt??
I wish she had to pay back her full pay.
Vote:June 29th, 2010 at 11:26 am
The end is in sight……..
I wish they’d put an end to their damned Maorification of every thing on RNZ,from their greetings to the town and placenames!!
The Romans,what have they ever done for us?
Vote:June 29th, 2010 at 11:26 am
why is it always state-funded organisations or charities that give jobs to the useless and corrupt??
Because they are hired by the useless and corrupt.
Vote:June 29th, 2010 at 11:32 am
Hell hath no fury like two women who fall out.
Vote:June 29th, 2010 at 11:46 am
The more commies at each other’s throats the better.
Vote:June 29th, 2010 at 11:52 am
Its lke “telethon” sans “we have a new total coming up” and we will never know the bloody total. We are enlightened enough to realise that a marriage has ended and grant a divorce why does it take such a tortured path to end an employment relationship. Two years at $120k would be a lotto win for most of us without the BS ongoing. Had it been a private sector action a pragmatic and far less costly end would have happened long ago but with the stupid bloody (literally) tax payers as the true victim it has gone from point to increasingly expensive point.
Vote:Guesses as to the total cost?
June 29th, 2010 at 11:56 am
3 EC proceedings, discovery, CofA – legals alone would be at least $200k, probably way more.
Vote:June 29th, 2010 at 11:59 am
This whole sorry saga, bankrolled by the taxpayers, surely raises the question. Why does the government need to own a radio station? How many listen to the sad left-wing echo-box anyway?
Sell it Bill!
Vote:June 29th, 2010 at 12:43 pm
Madness
Vote:June 29th, 2010 at 1:07 pm
Incredible what happens, when you get rid of someone in a way that isn’t by the book.
Vote:June 29th, 2010 at 3:33 pm
Not sure how someone can be on sick leave for two years, AFAIK one year would usually be the maximum possible sick leave.
Justice Dept has not put case up yet, I think she was finally using Rob (aka Alice) Moodie, he tries these off-beat sorts of actions.
Not quite applicable here, but if someone is put on leave with full pay pending investigations, trials, etc, it should be treated as a loan – to be paid back if the employee is pushed or otherwise leaves. They may think a bit harder before drawing out proceedings.
Vote:June 29th, 2010 at 4:45 pm
RRM @ 1 07 is that the book “insanityc verses” by ‘sellme rushme’. Rewrite the bloody book, as I said a private sector operator would have shut this down years ago but as it is “public money” and most will go to the lawyers who have no reason to reach a conclusion we get this sort of crap.
Vote:I agree with the above who said sell it or if necessary just shut it down, listener numbers are a sick joke and many of the few I know personally who listen, do so out of lack of choice or are just being bloody minded. Put a decoder in and charge a realistic annual “user pays fee” and its listeners would be below 1%.
Before the attacks come I would point out I have in times of complete boredom gone there and promptly regretted it. The regard for reality is mind numbing.
June 29th, 2010 at 4:46 pm
Two years sick leave !!!!!!!!!, shame it wasn’t terminal.
Vote:June 29th, 2010 at 5:40 pm
Expect something similar when Chris Carter is shoved out from the trough.
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