30 Nov 2013

Security guard's family 'shocked' at ministry decision

7:54 am on 30 November 2013

Relatives of a man killed on his first shift at work say they were distraught to learn the Government will not appeal against a court decision clearing his employer of any wrongdoing.

Charanpreet Dhaliwal, 22, was attacked at an Auckland building site just hours into his first shift as a security guard, in November 2011. No-one has been convicted of his killing.

A Waitekere District Court decision cleared his employer, CNE Security, of failing to provide a safe workplace.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment says it won't try to appeal against the decision, because it wasn't given consent to do so by the Solicitor-General.

Jasjit Singh is the spokesperson for Charanpreet Dhaliwal's family, who live in India, and says family members are shocked beyond belief, and it's a shameful day for New Zealand law.

He says they want to carry on the fight to get justice for their son and brother, and are considering starting a petition asking for the appeals process to begin.