R v Haskett CA261/05

The Court of Appeal of New Zealand was presented with an application for special leave to appeal in the matter of the Queen versus Alistair James Haskett. The applicant, Mr Haskett, was convicted of driving over the speed limit after being detected by speed cameras on the northwestern motorway in Auckland. He appealed his conviction to the High Court, which was dismissed. He then sought leave to appeal to the Court of Appeal, which was also declined. Now, Mr Haskett seeks special leave for a second appeal. The key legal issues in this case revolve around the admissibility and accuracy of vehicle surveillance equipment used in the conviction, specifically whether a computer and laser sight were part of the approved equipment and if the certificate of accuracy was sufficient. The court considered the technicalities of the equipment and the statutory and common law presumptions of accuracy. The Court of Appeal found that the application for special leave should be granted, as the questions raised were significant and of importance to other road users. The Crown conceded that the questions were of law and held some significance.