A high-profile New Zealand sportsman, who allegedly helped finance an international drug syndicate, will take his battle for name suppression to the country's highest court.
The sportsman had his bid for permanent name suppression dismissed by the Court of Appeal last week.
But lawyer Michael Herron QC filed a memo with the Court of Appeal on Tuesday, requesting a further interim suppression order, while he prepares to have the case heard at the Supreme Court.
The move allows the sportsman to keep his name from being published until the Supreme Court decides whether it will hear the case.
Police identified the sportsman during a recent methamphetamine trial in Auckland, but chose not to charge him.
His legal team filed for permanent name suppression, but the court declined the request.
"The point of conducting criminal trials in public and the principle of open justice is that the trial can be fully reported by the media acting as a proxy for the public," the Court of Appeal said.
"Restrictions on the publication of information about a trial should be kept for only very special circumstances.
"We consider that the relevant factors, in this case, were the seriousness of the offending (including the manner in which the importation and distribution of the methamphetamine were effected), the public interest in the decision not to charge a high profile individual and potential for suppression to erode public confidence in the criminal justice system," it said.
"These are all powerful factors and ones that, in our view, could not properly be recognised without the media being able to fully report on the evidence given at trial."
The trio in question - Tevita Sitanilei Kulu, Tevita Matangi Fangupo and Toni Rajendra Finau - were found guilty of charges related to importing methamphetamine from California and involvement in the wholesale supply of the Class A drug in Auckland.
Despite the trio being linked to the New Zealand sportsman, he was never charged and the Crown's evidence against him was never heard in court.
At trial, the Crown alleged the sportsman bought methamphetamine, communicated with the convicted about finding a supplier and helped launder New Zealand currency to buy drugs.
Newshub.
