Ex-Gloriavale member’s lawsuit fails

| Greymouth Star | Subscriber Only |

The High Court in Wellington has declined an attempt to personally sue two former public servants who were part of a group formed by the authorities several years ago when the Gloriavale Christian Community came under scrutiny.

The case was filed by four former Gloriavale members against a number of government departments, and including the two former staff members individually. It was heard recently in the High Court in Wellington.

The two public servants were part of a group brought together about a decade ago from across several government departments to address increasing external scrutiny and allegations in the media about the care of children at the West Coast community.

At the same time, a local liaison group of Grey district residents emerged including local professionals and business people, as a contingency should the Gloriavale community need to disband.

Stuff reports the claimants lawyer alleged the two public servants had neglected ‘a duty of care’ to protect vulnerable children, and that the alleged abuse had continued after the government departments group disbanded.

Justice David Gendall rejected that claim, noting that public servants are immune from liability in civil proceedings for actions or omissions in good faith while doing their duty.

The judge said that immunity would only fail if they had acted in bad faith, which was more than negligence, and would require personal dishonesty, malice, ulterior motive, or deliberate misconduct to be proved, Stuff reported.