by Chris Merritt | Aug 24, 2023 | Chris Merritt, Commentary, Media Article, Rule of Law Issue
When Robert Beech-Jones was president of the Judicial Conference of Australia, he was sometimes required to defend the judiciary against its critics even if this meant alienating powerful figures in society. But in the light of his elevation to the High Court,...
by Chris Merritt | Aug 11, 2023 | Chris Merritt, Media Article
It is worth considering why Andrew Barr, the chief minister of the ACT, is so cross with Walter Sofronoff.Is it because Sofronoff breached protocol by providing his report on the Brittany Higgins-Bruce Lehrmann rape trial to journalists on an embargoed basis? Or could...
by Chris Merritt | Aug 4, 2023 | Chris Merritt, Media Article, Rule of Law Issue
Shane Drumgold is without a doubt the biggest loser in Walter Sofronoff’s report on what went wrong during the Brittany Higgins rape trial. But he might not be alone. The next biggest loser might turn out to be the ACT government – which was already on notice that the...
by Chris Merritt | Jul 28, 2023 | Chris Merritt, Freedom of Speech, Media Article
There is really only one issue to look for next week when Walter Sofronoff gives the government of the ACT the report of his inquiry into the disastrous Brittany Higgins rape trial. Will anyone take the fall for the now abandoned rape prosecution of Bruce Lehrmann?...
by Chris Merritt | Jul 20, 2023 | Chris Merritt, Defamation, Media Article
In order to make sense of the Ben Roberts-Smith case, one important point needs to be kept in mind: this was not a war crimes trial or a murder trial – at least not officially. Allegations of murder and war crimes were at the heart of the argument. But the...
by Chris Merritt | Jul 14, 2023 | Chris Merritt, Media Article
The major villains in the Robodebt saga have gained plenty of attention. But nobody should forget that this fiasco might never have happened but for two other factors. The first is that weak government lawyers averted their eyes as their agencies inflicted unlawful...
