Election candidates facing court for demonstrations

All three Network Against Prohibition candidates face the Northern Territory Supreme Court this month for their roles in peaceful demonstrations held during 2002.

Robert Inder-Smith and Gary Meyerhoff will appear in the Supreme Court tomorrow to appeal against their conviction for “failing to comply with the instruction of an authorised officer of the Legislative Assembly”. The 2 were charged after failing to leave the “People’s Embassy” on the 2nd of May 2002. The Embassy had been established the day before, as a protest against the ‘drug house’ legislation and other human rights abuses in the Northern Territory.

On the 21st of May, Lord Mayor in waiting Stuart (the Highwayman) Highway will join Robert and Gary as they face the full bench of the NT Supreme Court. The NAP activists are appealing against a conviction for trespassing, which resulted from a peaceful occupation of the NT Chief Health Officers office, also in 2002. The occupation of the NT Chief Health Officers office occurred after she had removed the prescribing rights of Dr Henry Pang, with the immediate result being that forty people lost access to medical treatment for drug dependency issues. Many families were forced to leave the Northern Territory as a result of the Chief Health Officers actions.

In June, Stuart, Rob and Gary will be joined by Michael Lambe, coordinator of PARIAH and facilitator of our Darwin City Council Election campaign. The group will try and stave off their imminent jail sentences by appealing against the conviction for “deliberately disrupting the Legislative Assembly whilst it is in session”. They have been sentenced to between 14 and 21 months jail and are currently on appeals bail.

NAP spokesperson Gary Meyerhoff said “we are used to running campaigns with the NT Police State breathing down our necks. These court cases are hard work, but we owe it to everyone in the NT who are effected by the Police state to fight these cases.”

For more info call our media facilitator on 0415 16 2525 or see http://www.napnt.org

Contact Information:

Lord Mayor in waiting – Stuart Highway (08) 8948 2547

Chan Ward – Robert Inder-Smith (08) 8985 6334

Lyons Ward – Gary Meyerhoff (08) 8942 0570

Campaign facilitator - Michael Lambe 0408 893 142

For more info on the Darwin City Council election campaign see http://darwin.indymedia.org