Christopher Howard Righton appears in Mackay Magistrates Court argues laws don’t apply

A Mackay magistrate warned a man his defence was doomed to fail when he attempted to argue laws did not apply to him after he was caught driving without a licence.

Instead of accepting a fine and a six-month driving disqualification, a Victorian man has had his matter set down for trial to argue the laws do not apply to him.

The court heard Christopher Howard Righton was caught driving without a licence on Cathu O’Connell River Rd in Yalboroo on September 16.

Mr Righton who was originally from Victoria had lost his licence because he had accumulated too many demerit points and faced Mackay Magistrates Court on October 18 charged with driving without a licence.

Christopher Howard Righton initially refused entering a plea, instead attempting to read from his 45-plus prepared pages

“I cannot make any plea in this court hearing until such a point in time that I am in possession of a commercial ...” he said before Magistrate Bronwyn Hartigan cut him off.

“Today is not your trial, if you want a platform to say this may I suggest you go out the front of the courthouse and yell it out there,” Ms Hartigan said.

“There are at least 20 people in the court here waiting for their matters to be lawfully dealt with today, whether they are pleading guilty or not guilty is another matter.

“I am not going to allow you to hold up these lawful citizens by reading out your views about whether or not the court, the police, the state of Queensland, the Commonwealth of Australia has power over you.”

Mr Righton insisted on a trial to dispute a matter of driving disqualified despite being told he could not win it on the argument he proposed. Picture: Lillian Watkins

Ms Hartigan called Mr Righton a constitutionalist, but advised him the argument he was seeking to rely on would be deemed irrelevant in a courthouse.

“So unless you have something else to argue at your trial, it is likely the police will be able to prove the charge beyond reasonable doubt.”

She told the Victorian man if he were to plead guilty, he would likely receive a six-month driving disqualification and a fine.

But Mr Righton was adamant about getting a trial.

Ms Hartigan recorded a plea of not guilty and set the next mention date for January 12 and a trial scheduled for February 1.

The court heard Mr Righton did not have a home address and instead would need the police brief of evidence posted to his parent’s home in Victoria.