By Kloe Palmer
Lawyers for the designers of the CTV Building have started their right of reply at the royal commission in Christchurch.
They're disputing closing statements by Stephen Mills, QC, who told the inquiry that design flaws played a major part in the building's catastrophic collapse during the February 2011 earthquake.
Hugh Rennie, the lawyer representing Alan Reay Consultants began his summing up this morning by criticising the closing statements that had just been delivered by Mr Mills.
"In the council assisting submissions there isn't even a section called the earthquake," he says.
Mr Mills has spent the last day-and-a-half telling the commission that design flaws played a major part in the building's collapse. Mr Rennie says some of the comments made by Mr Mills strayed from what was actually necessary.
"Second and thirdhand triviality, when the core issues are those I'm about to go to."
But Justice Mark Cooper didn't seem to agree with Mr Rennie.
"I don't know why you've seen it necessary to criticise counsel for bringing up evidence that's relevant to them," he said.
Rennie's criticisms were no surprise to Mr Mills, who'd already addressed them in his summing up.
"I reject categorically, the suggestion that there was an agenda here and we have strayed outside its terms of reference," says Mr Mills.
After Mr Rennie is finished there are still eight teams of lawyers to deliver closing statements, and they're expected to continue well into tomorrow.
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