The Law Society have said the cellphone incident in Nelson court where a Crown Prosecutor was concussed after a member of the public through a cellphone at him was a serious breach of courtroom security.
The incident occurred when a woman threw the phone at the prosecutor.
Nelson Crown Prosecutor Mark O’Donoghue said the lawyer had gone to see a doctor, but the following day she still had splitting headaches and was vomiting.
She required a CT scan and had been ordered not to work for seven days.
“A consultant has diagnosed concussion with a contusion (bleed) on the brain.”
The phone broke on impact and the lawyer has been off work since the incident, which happened on Monday.
“The Law Society extends its fullest sympathy and support to the lawyer involved. We wish her well as she recovers,” New Zealand Law Society Vice-President, Wellington and Courthouse Committee member Mark Wilton says.
“The freedom of lawyers to appear in court and to participate in our justice system without the fear that they will be assaulted or injured is extremely important.
“We do not blame court security staff, who we know carry out an important and demanding job well. However, any serious incident such as this must be followed with a comprehensive reassessment of security levels and measures. The Law Society believes such a review is appropriate and would welcome the opportunity to be involved.”
A police spokeswoman said a 19-year-old woman was charged with assault after throwing a cell phone at a person in the Nelson District Court on Monday.
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