A criminal defence lawyer says the Polkinghorne verdict isn't a surprise. 

Eye surgeon Philip Polkinghorne was found not guilty of the murder or manslaughter of his wife Pauline Hanna at their Remuera home in April 2021. 

The verdict —given at the High Court in Auckland yesterday— followed 10 hours of deliberations over two days. 

Criminal defence lawyer Roderick Mulgan told Ryan Bridge if there's doubt, there has to be an acquittal. 

He says even though many people were suspicious, it's not enough. There's a high bar and it's difficult to convict people on circumstantial evidence.

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A criminal defence lawyer says the Polkinghorne verdict isn't a surprise.  
Eye surgeon Philip Polkinghorne was found not guilty of the murder or manslaughter of his wife Pauline Hanna at their Remuera home in April 2021.  
The verdict —given at the High Court in Auckland yesterday— followed 10 hours of deliberations over two days.  
Criminal defence lawyer Roderick Mulgan told Ryan Bridge if there's doubt, there has to be an acquittal.  
He says even though many people were suspicious, it's not enough. There's a high bar and it's difficult to convict people on circumstantial evidence. 
LISTEN ABOVE

A fresh and intelligent start to your day - catch the very latest international and domestic news developments, sport, entertainment and business on Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, on Newstalk ZB.

A fresh and intelligent start to your day - catch the very latest international and domestic news developments, sport, entertainment and business on Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, on Newstalk ZB.

Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

Roderick Mulgan: Criminal defence lawyer on the Philip Polkinghorne verdict

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A weather expert says creating one state weather forecasting system is the right decision. \n

The Government's announced it's agreed in-principle to NIWA acquiring MetService - merging the two.  \n

Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins says streamlining the two will make it easier to access information from a single trusted source and improve response to severe weather events. \n

WeatherWatch head forecaster Phillip Duncan told Ryan Bridge that it’s been a bit of a weird journey to get to this point, but it’s definitely the right thing. \n

He said that a government having two opposing agencies doing weather forecasts and saying different things is a recipe for disaster.  \n

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Phillip Duncan: WeatherWatch head forecaster on NIWA acquiring MetService

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The All Blacks kept their grip on the Bledisloe Cup last week, beating the Wallabies 31-28 in Sydney.\n

However, they still have another test to play, the second Bledisloe Cup test being the All Blacks’ final home test for the year. \n

Elliott Smith, Newstalk ZB’s voice of rugby, told Ryan Bridge that the team needs to get their “20 minute jinx” sorted out as it’s becoming a real problem for the team.\n

He said they were still good enough to get the win against Australia last week, but they need to sort that out, and find some points in the last twenty minutes of the game.\n

LISTEN ABOVE","blocks":{"contentData":[],"settingsData":[]}}

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Elliott Smith: Newstalk ZB Voice of Rugby previews the second Bledisloe Cup test in Wellington

{"markup":"

An Auckland principal says teaching isn't a job, it's a service. \n

The Government's instructing schools to have Stepped Attendance Response plans by 2026. \n

It's also instructed them not to take teacher-only days in term time, unless authorised by the Minister. \n

May Road Primary School principal Lynda Stuart told Ryan Bridge that it’s a complex situation because she knows that in her school, teachers are basically just limping towards the end of the term. \n

She says that teachers need time in the holidays to recuperate before they’re back in their classrooms preparing for next term, and they don't have as long of holidays as some people think.\n

LISTEN ABOVE","blocks":{"contentData":[],"settingsData":[]}}

{"markup":"<p style="\&quot;-webkit-user-drag:" none;="" -webkit-tap-highlight-color:="" transparent;="" margin:="" 0px="" 0px="" 10.6667px;="" padding:="" 0px;="" user-select:="" text;="" overflow-wrap:="" break-word;="" white-space:="" pre-wrap;="" vertical-align:="" baseline;="" font-kerning:="" none;="" background-color:="" transparent;="" color:="" windowtext;="" text-align:="" left;="" text-indent:="" 0px;\"="">An Auckland principal says teaching isn't a job, it's a service. \n<p style="\&quot;-webkit-user-drag:" none;="" -webkit-tap-highlight-color:="" transparent;="" margin:="" 0px="" 0px="" 10.6667px;="" padding:="" 0px;="" user-select:="" text;="" overflow-wrap:="" break-word;="" white-space:="" pre-wrap;="" vertical-align:="" baseline;="" font-kerning:="" none;="" background-color:="" transparent;="" color:="" windowtext;="" text-align:="" left;="" text-indent:="" 0px;\"="">The Government's instructing schools to have Stepped Attendance Response plans by 2026. \n<p style="\&quot;-webkit-user-drag:" none;="" -webkit-tap-highlight-color:="" transparent;="" margin:="" 0px="" 0px="" 10.6667px;="" padding:="" 0px;="" user-select:="" text;="" overflow-wrap:="" break-word;="" white-space:="" pre-wrap;="" vertical-align:="" baseline;="" font-kerning:="" none;="" background-color:="" transparent;="" color:="" windowtext;="" text-align:="" left;="" text-indent:="" 0px;\"="">It's also instructed them not to take teacher-only days in term time, unless authorised by the Minister. \n<p style="\&quot;-webkit-user-drag:" none;="" -webkit-tap-highlight-color:="" transparent;="" margin:="" 0px="" 0px="" 10.6667px;="" padding:="" 0px;="" user-select:="" text;="" overflow-wrap:="" break-word;="" white-space:="" pre-wrap;="" vertical-align:="" baseline;="" font-kerning:="" none;="" background-color:="" transparent;="" color:="" windowtext;="" text-align:="" left;="" text-indent:="" 0px;\"="">May Road Primary School principal Lynda Stuart told Ryan Bridge that it’s a complex situation because she knows that in her school, teachers are basically just limping towards the end of the term. \n<p style="\&quot;-webkit-user-drag:" none;="" -webkit-tap-highlight-color:="" transparent;="" margin:="" 0px="" 0px="" 10.6667px;="" padding:="" 0px;="" user-select:="" text;="" overflow-wrap:="" break-word;="" white-space:="" pre-wrap;="" vertical-align:="" baseline;="" font-kerning:="" none;="" background-color:="" transparent;="" color:="" windowtext;="" text-align:="" left;="" text-indent:="" 0px;\"="">She says that teachers need time in the holidays to recuperate before they’re back in their classrooms preparing for next term, and they don't have as long of holidays as some people think.\n<p style="\&quot;-webkit-user-drag:" none;="" -webkit-tap-highlight-color:="" transparent;="" margin:="" 0px="" 0px="" 10.6667px;="" padding:="" 0px;="" user-select:="" text;="" overflow-wrap:="" break-word;="" white-space:="" pre-wrap;="" vertical-align:="" baseline;="" font-kerning:="" none;="" background-color:="" transparent;="" color:="" windowtext;="" text-align:="" left;="" text-indent:="" 0px;\"="">LISTEN ABOVE","blocks":{"contentData":[],"settingsData":[]}}

Roderick Mulgan: Criminal defence lawyer on the Philip Polkinghorne verdict

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