Progressive Magistrate not alone

The Network Against Prohibition have refuted claims by Drug Free Australia Executive Director Michael Robinson that Magistrate Dick Wallace is misinformed and alone.

In a media statement released yesterday, Robinson criticised and misquoted the Darwin based magistrate who made remarks while sentencing a young person to a 28 day mandatory jail term for possession of illicit drugs.

Magistrate Wallace told a young defendant that he accepted that drug use had caused him "No physiological or psychological harm."

He said that the only harm encountered by the defendant was his encounter with the police and the criminal justice system.

NAP spokesperson Gary Meyerhoff said "Although Mr Wallace wasn't directly attacking drug prohibition, his comments certainly raise questions about the legitimacy of drug prohibition in Australia."

"Mr Robinson is very wrong when he says that Magistrate Wallace is the only member of the judiciary who question the legitimacy of drug prohibition. "

During a recent case against NAP member Robert Inder-Smith for charges arising from the network's 6th Community Smoke-In for Human Rights, Magistrate David Loadman commented that marijuana may well be legalised soon but magistrates still have to follow the current law and incarcerate people for drug offences.

Supreme Court Justice Steven Bailey is another member of the judiciary who has cast doubt on the legitimacy of anti-drug laws. In June, he lashed out at prosecutors while sentencing a sufferer of severe chronic pain for marijuana cultivation. He told them that the prosecution was not "in line with the aims of the Misuse of Drugs Act."

Mr Meyerhoff said "Members of the NT judiciary are appearing increasingly uneasy over their role in the drug prohibition experiment."

At the 15th International Conference on the Reduction of Drug Related Harm held recently in Melbourne, Australia, NAP members made contact with representatives of the US based group - Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP). LEAP is made up of current and former members of law enforcement, including Judges, who support drug regulation rather than prohibition.

NAP have contacted Justice Bailey and Magistrates Loadman and Wallace to alert them to the existence of LEAP.

For more information contact Gary Meyerhoff on 0415 16 2525, Drug Free Australia's Michael Robinson on 0414 719 742 or see http://www.napnt.org (Network Against Prohibition and http://www.leap.cc (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition)

Footnote:

NAP will continue their campaign against Northern Territory drug laws with the 16th Community Smoke-in for Human Rights being held in Darwin's Raintree Park on Saturday the 10th of July at12 noon. This is a drug law reform rally where participants are encouraged to smoke cannabis as an act of defiance against the drug prohibition that is causing so much harm to our communities.