ACT Magistrate Bernadette Boss to summons prison officials to court over failure to supply inmate with medication
Prison officials who flouted a magistrate’s direction to provide an inmate with medication will be hauled in to court.
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A Canberra magistrate says she is willing to have corrections staff arrested and hauled into court for questioning over why an inmate has been denied crucial medication for more than three days.
Magistrate Bernadette Boss on Tuesday said she was would have “whoever is responsible” for ensuring inmates are given proper health care subpoenaed to give evidence about why an inmate was not being medicated.
Dr Boss, a former nurse, refused Daniel James Clayton bail on Saturday but directed ACT Corrections to provide him with medication for ADHD and Tourettes syndrome.
Clayton’s lawyer, Tom Taylor, on Tuesday said his client was without medication and expected a long wait to see a doctor or nurse.
Dr Boss said she would sign off on a subpoena for a corrections staffer to give evidence in court on Tuesday, for Mr Taylor to answer questions about why her direction had not been complied with.
Dr Boss said: “Otherwise, we’ll just to have to subpoena (ACT corrections commissioner Jon Peach) and see what he has to say for himself”.
If nobody fronted court to answer the subpoena on Wednesday, she would have police arrest them to bring them to court to give evidence, she said.
“What does there have to be, a death in custody before detainees are provided with their prescribed medication?
“I am sufficiently concerned to have somebody summonsed to appear before court tomorrow.”
Clayton was in court on a string of property and violence charges, including aggravated burglary, robbery assault and property damage.
Clayton’s bail application resumes before Dr Boss on Tuesday.