Teina Pora’s lawyers have formally notified Justice Minister Amy Adams of a claim for compensation for “wrongful conviction and imprisonment.”
Pora was imprisoned for over 21 years for the rape and murder of Susan Burdett, in March this year his conviction was quashed by the Privy Council and the Council did not order a retrial.
Amy Adams says that as no retrial was ordered by the Privy Council, Mr Pora's application will be treated as being within Cabinet Guidelines.
"Now that Mr Pora’s application has been received, I will be seeking preliminary advice from my Justice officials on the next steps, officials will assess whether the claim merits further consideration and, if so, provide me with advice on appointing a QC or retired judge to determine whether the applicant can prove they are innocent on the balance of probabilities.”
She says as the process is currently underway no further comment will be made.