Andrew L. Urban.
It didn’t take long. After the first seven days of public hearings at the Board of Inquiry chaired by Walter Sofronoff KC into the handling of the Brittany Higgins allegation of rape against Bruce Lehrmann, its first witness, the DPP Shane Drumgold, was no longer the DPP. He was replaced in his role by his deputy, Anthony Williamson SC. Officially, Drumgold is on leave…
Nobody could be surprised, given the highly embarrassing litany of serious errors of judgement to which he admitted at the inquiry. (See summary)
Shane Drumgold has worked at the DPP office since 2002, and as the Director since 2019. His four year tenure as DPP ended on a sour note, his testimony attracting concerted criticism. He was not even mentioned in the official notice of appointment of Williamson SC; his name just disappeared.
The Inquiry will continue to hold public hearings from Monday May 22, 2023, with another key witness, Detective Inspector Superintendent Moller of ACT Police, author of a key report on the matter, the Moller Report.
The hearings may be viewed in live streaming, including previous days.
Would it be fair to say that every single wrongful conviction and wrongful Aquittal in Australia is the direct result of Political Attorney Generals / DPPs / Politically appointed Judges together with their Police Running Dogs and often (usually)appointed Lawyer Defence persons often seemingly incompetant or part of the team of scoundrels – Australia’s Legal System – The Biggest Liar WINS-
Way too sweeping a statement, and unfair to the dedicated and decent members of the legal profession … who we don’t hear about often enough. The rogues spoil the image of the profession. But sometimes it does seem like you are entitled to that view….
There will always be wrongful convictions.
Wrongful convictions happen, partly because police and/or prosecutors are not infallible. They make mistakes, just like the rest of us do.
In Australia, the politicians normally are not involved in creating the wrongful convictions. Politicians, such as Attorney Generals,
do however become involved when it comes to rectifying the wrongful convictions.
The important thing is to accept that errors happen, and to try to rectify the wrongful convictions. This is where Australia has big problems. To give an example, USA since 1989 has had 3,323 exonerations of wrongfully convicted people, ref https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/about.aspx. It’s not a direct comparison, but I’m fairly sure that NSW this century has had no wrongfully convicted person freed from jail by exoneration from a major crime after losing their trial and first appeal. Zero – not directly comparably to 3,323, I admit. If the motion in NSW Parliament today had have succeeded, Kathleen Folbigg would have become the first such exonerated person in NSW in the last 25 years, but – surprise, surprise – it failed. The brick wall that prevents the rectification of wrongfully convicted people in NSW will have to wait until another day before it opens.
So for example – the convictions of Lindy and Michael Chamberlain- Sue Neil-Fraser- The State Murder of Ray Bailey – the death sentence for Darryl Beamish – the planting of DNA – Scott Austic and the methods used to achieve these Victories For The Justice System – just mistakes we all make and not deliberate calculating Barstardary- bare faced dishonest practices – screenplays used to manipulate juries – my first wife died from the alcohol – came home drunk – so I accidently shot her – 6 times ! And pigs do fly !
Certainly the comment applies to nearly every Wrongful Conviction – does it not ? (Did say nearly)
Mendelssohn Miller.
This whole matter raises many issues that are not just about Shane Drumgold. One of them is the Victims of Crime Commissioner, which were also involved in the lead up to the Lehrmann trial. Choosing a victim in that case presupposes who the victim was, I’d say it was both Higgins & Lehrmann, both victims of a bent system. It simply shows how much is presumed based on pre-conceived notions of who the victim is, and therefore not so much a trial as a show trial with the judgment already made!
The other thing this whole “system” paves the way for is the ego-zealot (=white knight who crusades for truth, justice & the best looking result for their next career move).
I doubt this matter will ever be fully resolved as the ego-zealots would have a field day playing the victim card for themselves, never mind their assumed victims of crime!
Perhaps the best answer is to build a glass dome over the ACT with Mark McGowan at the perimeter stopping all traffic in & out! But that would only go over budget & behind time, leaving the RBA to take the blame for it all (like in Victoria)!
Seriously, all ego zealots are “noble cause” corrupt, and should be charged with appropriate charges. If found guilty, they should have longer sentences than the victims they’ve jailed for years, and pay large fines! That might stop it a bit!
But I doubt that would ever happen, we’re far to soft on white collar crime here. I still think about moving to Asia, at least cost of living is lower and perhaps the corruption not as bad as it is here!
Two universities turned Drumgold down. Why? Now this?
Gone but never forgotten. Dog scum, the first to go; many more on the list, it is not over ’till it’s over, as long as we keep breathing, justice is waiting for us all, and when we stop breathing, justice is still waiting. Amen.
Great work. Owen.
Here a tool, there a tool, looking for Shane Drumgold the total tool.