Successful application for judicial review of District Court decision not to accept charging document alleging offence by Stuff Ltd against Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015 for filing – procedural error by District Court – was District Court correct in concluding the prosecution was an abuse of process? 

Hitchcock v District Court at Christchurch [2025] NZHC 2309 per Mander J 

Ian Hitchcock was convicted of sexual and related offending in early 2015. Stuff published reports about his trial and sentencing. Hitchcock later successfully appealed against conviction for two of the charges, rape and sexual violation, which were quashed by the Court of Appeal. His sentence was also reduced. Stuff published two articles in October 2020 which reported on Hitchcock’s appeal.