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NAP Poster for September 14

Smoke-in

Police vs NAP member

Any residual belief that Magistrates are independent entities slavishly devoted to Law, took a battering recently, as a NAP member charged with contravening Section 61 of the NT Criminal Code faced court.

The so-called 'Parliament Invasion'

CRIMINAL CODE OF THE NORTHERN TERRITORY OF AUSTRALIA - SECT 61

Disturbing the Legislative Assembly 61.

Any person who intentionally - (a) disturbs the Legislative Assembly while it is in session; or (b) engages in conduct in the immediate view and presence of the Legislative Assembly while it is in session with the intention of interrupting its proceedings or impairing the respect due to its authority, is guilty of a crime and is liable to imprisonment for 3 years.

With friends like these...

The young man charged had taken advice from 'friends' and NT Legal Aid to plead guilty, in the hope a custodial sentence would be avoided. This was contrary advice to that given by the NAP legal team which believed the Courts would deal harshly with any perceived affront, to the alleged 'dignity' of Parliament.

We believe Parliament should not be allowed to become (or more appropriately, remain) a sanctuary for corrupt politicians.

A less than spirited defense (no objections were raised) by Legal Aid saw the young man sentenced to four months imprisonment - suspended to two weeks. Legal Aid have appealed the decision which will now be heard in the NT Supreme Court.

The young man lost his job (casual security work) and was evicted from his emergency accommodation once the verdict was announced. It says much about the true character of the "wonderful and supportive" people, the Legal Aid mouthpiece describes to the Magistrate.

NAP are accommodating this homeless youth (now) facing imprisonment.

"...(He) now does not associate himself with the other defendants." (Legal Aid, Magistrates Court, 1st August, 2002)

Legal Aid throw caution to the wind :-)

"...I don't seek to make submissions to trivialise the offence in any way..."

"He ... in his instructions it's been clear that he knew that this was a protest that crossed the line...

...a crime."

Once this ceremonial buttock exposing was over, Legal Aid did the usual espousing of the defendent's servility quotient... no priors, good employment record...etc. All to no avail.

A more realistic argument against youth imprisonment can be found @

http://www.parity.infoxchange.net.au/group/
noticeboard/items/20030517007b.shtml

S11 'Terrorism' taints trial

Magistrate - "It is serious - it goes to the very heart of the whole system of governance of this whole country. It goes to the whole - it drives a stake into democracy."

Legal Aid - "Yes, Your Worship, but if you ---

Magistrate - "It can't be allowed."

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Magistrate - "I would expect that whatever happens his security status in regards to military installations would be persona non grata, I would expect."

Legal Aid - "Yes."

Magistrate - "You can't have someone who is likely to to take the law into his own hands and protest anywhere near a military base. What's he going to do if there's a nuclear warship and he wants to - he's got a security guard license and he's guarding that he decides to protest against it by sabotaging it. He's certainly done himself out of that."

More S11 paranoia

Article by Jude McCulloch -

Concern for Magistrate Trigg's Mental Health

The Magistrate's worldview which sees nonviolent anti-drug war protesters, as potential Hiroshima-like mass-murderers is not a healthy one. Especially when this individual has the power to imprison the victims of his delusions.

Some people are alarmed by Magistrate Trigg's pronouncements, which they believe indicate possible S11 post traumatic stress disorder...

"...A new study by researchers at the University of Newcastle has found a high percentage of Australians have suffered post traumatic stress following the terrorist attacks on the US on September 11 last year.

The study has also found many people have reported behavioural changes (my italics) since the attacks, with 61 per cent changing their attitudes towards overseas travel and 15 per cent of people now suspicious of people from the Middle East.

Researcher Dr Rosemary Webster says people who watched more of the television coverage of the attacks were more likely to be distressed.

"We found 28 per cent of those who responded showed clinically significant levels of post traumatic distress," Dr Webster said.

"People on average watched six and a half hours in that first 24 hour period, and those who watched more of it showed higher levels of distress."

('Trauma common after September 11 attacks: research'

NAP members presumed guilty

The presumption of innocence, in regard to seven other NAP members facing trial, has been treated with the contempt the proposed 'ASIO Act' has, for the rights of alleged 'terrorists', such as political activists and Trade Unionists.

Legal Aid - (On the costs of pleading innocent, to the community) "...the others do not consent to summary jurisdiction and seek a trial by jury... (and) ...my client has avoided any - or has taken steps to avoid - that this matter is dealt with quickly and that the community is not further put to expense by his early plea."
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Magistrate - "Some of the names are fairly familiar to me through the courts and some of them I would expect would look at it as some opportunity to try and push some form of political barrow."
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Magistrate - "Given the maximum penalty is three years, I would have thought that some of the others from what I've seen on the video, would be looking at somewhere approaching 18 months."

NT pair receive 18 months imprisonment for
murdering a sleeping Aboriginal man with shotguns