Bowraville
The acquittal
My employers were not impressed. I was told a conviction would lead to my dismissal. Journalists working for Four Corners were not meant to have opinions - at least not to express them publicly.
While this was a relatively minor, and technical offence, the NSW Council for Civil Liberties, saw it as an attempt to intimidate legitimate protest. Trevor Martin, a Sydney barrister, was briefed to represent us.
He later became a judge. While his performance in a Bowraville Court of Petty Sessions was entertaining, I suspect it had little to do with his elevation to the bench.
The police evidence began in Gilbert and Sullivan style. "While proceeding in a northerly direction I observed the accused in the Aboriginal Reserve ...." Trevor Martin objected. The reserve, he said, was defined in an Act of Parliament. Had the officer read the Act? How did he know that the area where the accused were standing was the area defined in the Act? Had the police employed a qualified surveyor to determine the location of the reserve?
No. So the recitation began again from the beginning. "While proceeding in a northerly direction I observed the accused in what I believed to be the Aboriginal reserve talking to two Aborigines ......" Another objection. Aborigines are defined in the Act. Did the officer know the two people in question.? Did he know their parents?
No. Back to the beginning. "While proceeding in a northerly direction I observed the accused in what I believed to be the Aboriginal Reserve talking to what I believed to be dark coloured people".
The Magistrate accepted a defence submission that there was no case to answer.
The photgraph above shows (left to right) Margot Oliver, Barry Corr, Wendy Colding and Sue-Anne Loftus with what the police believed to be dark coloured people on what the police believed to be the Aboriginal reserve.
The spark ----------------------------->
