Former MP and Green Party Leader Russel Norman and two fellow Greenpeace supporters may seek diversion for charges of interfering with the operation of a ship in an oil exploration protest off the east coast of the North Island.
The diversion possibility, which means they would have to admit the facts but would avoid having convictions, was raised when their case was called before Judge Bridget Mackintosh in Napier District Court today.
But lawyer Matthew Phelps, acting on instructions from Auckland-based Greenpeace of New Zealand lawyer Ron Mansfield, said the organisation pleads not guilty to its two charges of interfering with the operation of the 125-metre Amazon Warrior in incidents about 50 nautical miles off the North Wairarapa coast on April 10.
The organisation was remanded to a case review hearing on August 28, and Norman, Welsh Greenpeace volunteer Sara Howell and Ashburton kitemaker Gavin Mulvay, each facing one charge, after jumping into the ocean from a protest vessel in the vicinity of the ship, will appear on the same date for possible consideration of diversion.
Mr Phelps said the offer of possible diversion had only been made last week and still needed to be considered by the defendants and their counsel.
None of the trio were present in court for today's call before Judge Bridget Mackintosh, where the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, which laid the charges, was represented by Napier Crown solicitor Cameron Stuart.
The charges were laid under the Crown Minerals Act which has new provisions making it an offence to interfere with or get within 500 metres of an offshore ship during oil exploration.