High Court trial for Bay of Plenty raids-accused

Those arrested after police raids in the Bay of Plenty two years ago are to go on trial in the High Court.

Justice Helen Winkelmann released a written decision at midday today, saying she had ordered the transfer of the high profile case from the district court to the High Court.

Key pre-trial issue could not be dealt with in the district court because they involved reviewing the decision of a High Court judge, she said.

Further, there was considerable public interest in the trial and the importance of charges in relation to organised protest groups and the needs of the open justice and fair trial rights needed to be carefully balanced, Justice Winkelmann said.

Lawyer for the 18 accused lodged "extensive" pre-trial applications in the High Court on Wednesday but Justice Winkelmann suppressed the details of those applications.

All face multiple firearms charges, while Tame Iti, Tuhoe Lambert, Whiri Kemara, Swiss national Urs Signer and Wellington's Emily Bailey are also charged with the more serious crime of participating in an organised criminal group.

The charge carries a maximum jail term of five years.

Police initially intended to charge some of those arrested during the 2007 raids under the Terrorism Suppression Act, but the Solicitor-General ruled against it, saying New Zealand's terrorism laws were inadequate for a domestic situation.