Case by Case (Open Justice)

A music teacher lost his registration after kissing a student and attempting to kiss her on the lips. The contact continued through messages and another meeting — before the student confided in a friend.

Open Justice reporter Brianna McIlraith joins Jane Yee to explain the case of Sungjun Cho, the tribunal’s findings, and how the Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal holds teachers accountable.

Case by Case is an Open Justice podcast from the New Zealand Herald, supported by NZ On Air.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A campervan booking and return flights made it look like an ordinary New Zealand holiday. But hidden in a visitor’s suitcase lining was around $619,000 worth of cocaine — and Customs stopped him before he left the airport.

On Case by Case, Jane Yee speaks with Open Justice reporter Ric Stevens about the smuggling attempt that led to a four-year, two-month prison sentence. They also explore New Zealand’s growing cocaine market, the links between overseas cartels and local organised crime, and the harm behind the drug’s party reputation.

Case by Case is a New Zealand Herald podcast from the Open Justice team, with support from New Zealand On Air.

New episodes every Tuesday at 5.30PM NZT.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A woman was found with maggots in a wound and another's breast cancer went undiagnosed until it was too late. These are just two of four complaints made against a Dannevirke rest home in a major Health and Disability Commissioner investigation.

In this episode of Case by Case, Jane Yee speaks with Open Justice reporter Brianna McIlraith about the failures uncovered at the facility, the recommendations that followed, and what happened after the rest home changed hands.

They also take a closer look at the Health and Disability Commissioner: what it does, who can make a complaint, and what happens when healthcare providers fall short of the standards patients are entitled to.

Case by Case is a New Zealand Herald podcast from the Open Justice team, with support from New Zealand On Air.

New episodes every Tuesday at 5.30PM NZT.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Dilworth School teacher and housemaster Ian Wilson has been released from prison after serving his full sentence for sexually abusing former students.

Wilson was denied parole seven times, with the Parole Board repeatedly finding he continued to pose an undue risk to the community. But reaching his statutory release date means he must now be freed.

Open Justice reporter Tara Shaskey joins Jane Yee to examine Wilson’s offending, the survivor who attended every parole hearing to oppose his release, and why that exhausting process became a source of both trauma and vindication.

They also explain how New Zealand’s parole system works, what constitutes an “undue risk”, how victims can participate and why being eligible for parole does not mean a prisoner will receive it.

Case by Case is a New Zealand Herald podcast from the Open Justice team, with support from New Zealand On Air.

New episodes every Tuesday at 5.30PM NZT.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A young offender involved in a violent home invasion received sentencing discounts totalling 55%. Hannah Bartlett from NZ Herald's Open Justice team joins Jane Yee to explain what happened on the night in question and how the court reached a sentence with a 55% discount applied.

The pair then unpack how sentencing works more broadly, including starting points, uplifts and discounts, the role of victim impact statements, and how judges balance punishment, rehabilitation and public safety.

Case by Case is a New Zealand Herald podcast from the Open Justice team, with support from New Zealand On Air.

New episodes every Tuesday at 5.30PM NZT.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode contains discussion of suicide.

A coronial inquest into the deaths of six young people in Northland identified significant gaps in the support available to rangatahi and their whānau, including poor communication between government agencies and under-resourced mental health services.

Open Justice reporter Shannon Pitman joins Jane Yee to discuss what the inquest found, the changes already being made in Northland, and why telling the stories of the young people involved matters.

Then, we take a wider look at New Zealand’s coronial system — why an inquest might be held, what a coroner is trying to establish, and how their recommendations can help prevent future deaths.

Case by Case is a New Zealand Herald podcast from the Open Justice team, with support from New Zealand On Air.

New episodes every Tuesday at 5.30PM NZT.

Where to get help:
• Lifeline: Call 0800 543 354 or text 4357 (HELP) (available 24/7)
• Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7)
• Youth services: (06) 3555 906
• Youthline: Call 0800 376 633 or text 234
• What's Up: Call 0800 942 8787 (11am to 11pm) or webchat (11am to 10.30pm)
• Depression helpline: Call 0800 111 757 or text 4202 (available 24/7)
• Helpline: Need to talk? Call or text 1737
• Aoake te Rā (Bereaved by Suicide Service): Call or text 1737
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A New Zealand-born grandmother who spent 13 years living in Australia has had her visa cancelled and is being deported after serving time for family violence.

She is one of thousands of people sent to New Zealand under Section 501 of Australia’s Migration Act.

So what happens when someone is deported to a country they may barely know, separated from their family, work and support networks? And where should responsibility lie when they offend again?

On this episode of Case by Case, Jane Yee is joined by Open Justice’s Ric Stevens to unpack how Australia’s 501 system works, why it remains a point of tension between the two countries, and what could reduce the risk of reoffending in New Zealand.

Case by Case is a New Zealand Herald podcast from the Open Justice team, with support from New Zealand On Air.

New episodes every Tuesday at 5.30PM NZT.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A man said his livestream behaviour was just an online persona designed to attract viewers. A Family Court judge found it amounted to psychological abuse.

On Case by Case, Jane Yee and Open Justice reporter Shannon Pitman look at the case behind the protection order, and explain when posts, comments, DMs and other online behaviour can cross the line under the Harmful Digital Communications Act.

Case by Case is a New Zealand Herald podcast from the Open Justice team, with support from New Zealand On Air.

New episodes every Tuesday at 5.30PM NZT

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Christchurch kidnapping and sexual assault has resulted in one of New Zealand’s harshest sentences: preventive detention.

The offender had close to 60 previous convictions and had spent decades behind bars. But what makes a judge decide an ordinary prison sentence is no longer enough?

On Case by Case, Jane Yee speaks with Open Justice reporters Al Williams and Ric Stevens about the case, how preventive detention works, who can receive it, and why the sentence has raised human rights concerns.

Case by Case is a New Zealand Herald podcast from the Open Justice team, with support from New Zealand On Air.

New episodes every Tuesday at 5.30PM NZT

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Queenstown worker took his employer to the Employment Relations Authority after his work ute was replaced with a smaller vehicle he said didn’t meet the terms of his employment deal.

Open Justice reporter Brianna McIlraith joins Jane Yee to unpack the unusual dispute, before explaining how the ERA works, what kinds of cases it hears, how long the process can take and what happens when an employer or employee gets it wrong. 

Case by Case is an Open Justice podcast from the New Zealand Herald, made with support from New Zealand On Air.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.