Cook Islands publisher mulls contempt appeal
Updated
Cook Islands newspaper publisher, John Woods, says he is considering appealing his convictions for contempt in the Rarotonga High Court.
The court found the 55-year-old had breached a suppression order last month by publishing two stories about the Manihiki land matter.
Mr Woods pleaded guilty to the charges and was fined a total of $US60 and ordered to pay court costs.
Mr Woods has told Radio Australia's Pacific Beat program it is not about the size of the fine, it is a matter of press freedom.
"At first I was going to take it on the nose, and consider it a stripe in the interests of freedom of expression," he said.
"But now that members of the Commonwealth Press Union are expressing outrage, which they are doing, we have been advised that we should bring in the Commonwealth Press Union and challenge this by way of appeal."
