NT Parliament 5 hearing... : Melbourne Indymedia

NT Supreme Court - Hearing

24th November, 2003

Disturbing the Legislative Assembly

Adjourned

The Supreme Court registry decided we could lodge an application to the high court after all, this morning. (Thanks people) They were most helpful.

http://melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2003/11/57879_comment.php#57968

So we made up a quick application (no forms) and had copies made as Court began.

Happily we didn't need to use the hastily crafted High Court application as the case was adjourned. We can work on one that is legible now :-)

The refusal of the relevant authorities to even reply to a request for a free transcript and our unpreparedness were seen to justify an adjournment.

Personally I believe the Court was hoping we would re-amend our appeals.

Justice Bailey stated that the amended appeals were "rubbish" and the Prosecution moaned about points being too general.

http://www.country-liberal-party.com/pages/Amended-appeal.htm

I replied that the High Court might not agree with the Judge's appraisal and that I was happy with the appeal. I explained that the information supporting my appeal was already in evidence and that I saw no point in making the appeal unwieldy.

I also pointed out that the length of the transcript (a month's worth) -- and it's unavailability -- made the general nature of some of the "accusatory" (Prosecution) points unavoidable.

The Prosecution and Judge didn't have much to say about this.

The Judge did however, threaten Stuart Highway with imprisonment, if he wore his t-shirt emblazoned with "FUCK music let's make noise!" again to Court.

More Court dates...

I'm done till an assault/hinder Police in January. Barring new stuff :-)

On Wednesday, Rob Stuart and Gary will appeal their conviction for the peaceful occupation of the NT Chief Health Officer's office last year.

Thursday at 2pm, Nicolette's conviction for contempt of court last October will be heard in the NT Supreme Court.

And on Friday...... Rob will be in the Darwin Magistrate's Court charged with disorderly behaviour after the 6th smoke-in last year.

Then, from the 1st to the 5th of December, Scott will continue his committal hearing in the Magistrate's court for the 'parliament invasion'.

About a hundred charges dropped or defeated so far. It's obvious that the State has used the Law as a means of dampening dissent.

That such abuse of power is in itself unlawful seems to be largely ignored.

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Much gratitude to Daniel Taylor, a student at law, who has assisted us, whilst doing shift work and helping with the Letty Scott case -- amongst others.

http://darwinevo.tripod.com/pages/Issue_Two/pages/Evo2-page_1.htm

Solidarity

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We need more of us

"...the recent expression of the will of the people in invading the Parliament - (in Georgia) met with delight by the world."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/photo_gallery/3231556.stm

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:-)

It seems like a case of so far so good and it has thrown our resident troll into his usual state of confusion. His oft quoted one size fits all jibe of just don't break the law doesn't seem to make any more sense after your experiences this week than it did the first time (or the last time) we heard that piece of simplistic nonsense.

What the troll can't seem to comprehend from his isolated, establishment- backing perspective is that it is exactly this sort of court action which has given Australia the freedoms which conservatives occassionally pretend to defend but quite often want to destroy.

"Then again I dont really know if I want to know" is a beautiful position for a right wing troll to take because it neatly describes the head in the sand attitude of the conservative troll when social issues turn out to be too complex for his small mind.

All the best with your case Mick and the other Darwin activists and I look forward to seeing the troll squirm as the case progresses.