So, what if you represent yourself in court?
Broke? Fed up with lawyers? Want to make a personal statement? If any of these apply, you’ll be forced or tempted to represent yourself in court. Here’s some English advice.
CLA Keelty comment up on US legal website
CLA spokesman Max Jeganathan’s comments are being read far and wide, with the US legal website Jurist asking for what CLA thought of AFP Commissioner Michael Keelty’s recent outburst against the media. Read what Max said.
See the article on the ‘Jurist…
Australia needs a judicial appointments commission
Hugh Selby appears to lay the blame for the present mysterious system of Supreme Court appointments at the feet of those who have been appointed (“Let’s put our new judges and magistrates on trial”, January 1, p11), whereas Alan Towill (Letters, January…
Haneef: How a Minister’s discretion failed the nation
The Australian newspaper – not traditionally anti-police or security services – has summed up how seriously ex-Minister Andrews failed Australia by "…engaging in a cynical attempt to ramp up the Howard government’s security credentials".…
Setting priorities in the role of Attorney-General
What should be the priorities of new Attorney-General Robert McClelland? If the Democrats’ A_G spokepersons, Senator Natasha Stott Despoja, was in the job, this is what she would be focusing on in 2008.
If I were Attorney-General
By Senator Natasha…
CCL censorship battle proved the Lady was no tramp
The NSW Council for Civil Liberties helped to break the back of archaic Australian censorship laws by taking the fight to Sydney’s streets, which were then rife with police corruption. The Liberating of Lady Chatterley and Other True Stories is the tale…
CLA WA to facilitate panel to review CCC
There’s a pressing need to review how WA’s Corruption and Crime Commission is using its sweeping powers, the West Australian State Convenor of CLA, Peter Dowding, told an ABC TV Stateline audience in late November. He joined media representatives in requ…
Where there’s smoke, there’s mirrors
Is it fair to tobacco retailers for the ACT Government to pay 15-year-old ‘spies’ to encourage cigarette sales to minors? What effect will a cross-examination grilling in court have on the young double-agents? CLA Director Anthony Williamson studied the…
Defending legal professional privilege
CLA’s submission on the Australian Law Reform Commission’s legal privilege discussion paper supports a number of the draft proposals, and stresses how important the status of the privilege is as a fundamental human right. Given that, there would be few c…
A high number of rape acquittals!
Virginia Hausseger’s summary of what happens in a rape trial was accurate except when she says that the victim will be questioned about her sexual history and number of partners and that the jurors will therefore draw from that a view about her morality.…