Dear Ministry of Justice,

I have the following request to help me with my research.

What consultation(s), if any, did the Justice Ministry and or Justice Minister undertake about the appointment of the chair to the Ministerial Inquiry into the Peter Ellis case? Did officials follow State Services Commission Guidelines and or Cabinet Guidelines during the appointment process? If so, what guidelines were followed? Please send me a copy of all records of consultations and communications about these matters dated 1 January 2000 to 15 March 2000.

In April 1999, following the completion of Sir Thomas Thorp's review into the Ellis case, a review which recommended that the Ministry of Justice obtain Professor Stephen Ceci's formal opinion of the complainants' evidence, the Justice Ministry advised that it probably would have sought Prof Ceci's opinion if the second Court of Appeal had not been seized of the case. What action (if any) has been taken by the Ministry to fulfil Thorp's recommendation?

Since 1 January 2008, has Val Sim - or anyone acting for her - requested information from the Ministry about the Peter Ellis case? If so please send me copies of all such information.

Yours faithfully,

Ross Francis