New Zealand

CTV families consider legal action

16:47 pm on 6 December 2017

Video - The families of the CTV building victims want to meet with the Prime Minister to discuss the police decision not to prosecute, and are considering legal action.

Last week, police announced there was not enough evidence for prosecutions over the collapse of the six-storey office block in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, which killed 115 people.

Speaking for the CTV families at a news conference this afternoon, Professor Maan Alkaisi, whose wife died in the building, said the decision not to prosecute was "not justice" and did not hold anyone accountable.

Watch Prof Alkaisi here:

He said the families "would not be silenced" by the unfair decision and that the justice system had "failed".

Prof Alkaisi said he had deep concerns that it set a precedent.

"The message this decision will send to the construction industry [and] to all the engineering profession [is] that if the city council found deficiencies in your design 'that's okay'."

He said victims' families want a meeting with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to discuss the police decision not to prosecute.

They would also be reaching out to the leader of the opposition Bill English.

He said the families were receiving legal advice about grounds for challenging the decision.

Ms Ardern said this afternoon she was happy to meet with the families.

She said the matter was always an operational decision but that did not stop her from meeting with them.

However, she said she did not want to raise expectations.