MONTY PYTHON TIME

One of the most frequent questions I get, on and off air, when there is a big court case in the news, is this: Are they getting Legal Aid? Who’s paying all that money for the lawyers?

It came up again recently when a road thug named Thomas Towle was on trial for the deaths of six Mildura teenagers. He not only reportedly got Legal Aid but he got one of the best, most expensive, QC’s in the country, Robert Richter, to defend him.

When a jury found him not guilty of more serious crimes, which could have seen Towle locked up for a long, long time,I said :

The clever and persuasive words of his expensive barrister Robert Richter had done their job. It was a masterly, persuasive performance and it worked. The way that Ian Barker worked on the Lindy Chamberlain jury. If you believe the dingo didn’t do it then she must have. That’s would lawyers are paid for. How they sleep at night is their business.

And on these occasions these lawyers are paid for with taxpayers’ money. Your money. It’s not too much of an exaggeration to say that the taxes from those grieving parents in Mildura helped get their kids’ killer a shorter time behind bars.

And now, presumably, Legal Aid will add to their distress by paying for Towle’s appeal.

Of course, and before the do-gooders and bleeding hearts leap on me, an accused must be given a fair trial and that means must have access to legal representation.

But Legal Aid is surrounded by secrecy like the Masons. You are not allowed to know who gets it and how much they get. There was a classic case, a Monty Python type case in the past week.

Julia Dehm was one of the G20 rioters convicted of throwing a barrier at Police including Sen-Constable Kim Dixon, a mother of two, who is still suffering from elbow injuries. Her career is in doubt. She can’t do simple things like push her youngest son’s stroller or hang out the washing without feeling pain and she’s confined to desk duties.

Dehm was convicted of two counts of riot, one of recklessly causing injury and one of intentionally causing damage. She was fined $3000 and given a suspended sentence.

Did she received legal aid? From the very society and system that the G20 protesters despise?  Did the other G20 rabble? We don’t know. The Managing Director of Victoria Legal Aid , Tony Parsons, says ‘I can’t disclose that.  The legislation requires confidentiality’. Why? It’s our money, Ralph.

Anyway, jail avoided, Julia Dehm is back at work. She’s a trainee lawyer.

And where does she work?  At the Victoria Legal Aid office.  Did somebody mention Monty Python?

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

© Copyright Derryn Hinch 2008