Williamson v Rattenbury, you be the judge
A former senior crown prosecutor has entered the fray in a war of words over the presumption of innocence in the ACT.
A former senior crown prosecutor has entered the fray in a war of words over the presumption of innocence in the ACT.
Former ACT chief prosecutor Anthony Williamson’s comments come amid a growing civil war in Canberra’s tight-knit legal profession over the handling of rape cases.
The ACT government’s clenched fist is pressing down on one end of Lady Justice’s scales to lift sexual assault conviction rates. And it’s doing this with no apparent evidence that convictions are too low.
Canberra barristers are being forced to foot the bill for their client’s cases due to the chronic underfunding of Legal Aid, as the ACT government slashes critical funds to community legal services.
The ABC chair might want to show more curiosity about the success of Joe Rogan. After all, Rogan represents a new counterculture revolt in the media landscape.
We need to ask first whether the practice of female-only application lists (or lists where male participants are for display purposes only) is legal; then, irrespective of its legality, whether it is right.
Since becoming PM, Albanese has shown he’s entirely beholden to other vested interests. He can’t hide it, and he doesn’t appear troubled by it either.
Some of those best placed to uphold the presumption of innocence are the same ones who ignored it when Alan Jones was arrested and charged.
Current and former jurors deserve a right of reply to Lucy McCallum’s concerns that jurors find it so hard to believe a sexual assault allegation.
We need to maintain high bars for serious misconduct – for the sake of women and men.
Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/author/janet-albrechtsen/page/2