Applicant's Closing Submissions
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NOTICE OF FILING This document was lodged electronically in the FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA (FCA) on 11/04/2016 6:23:39 PM AEST and has been accepted for filing under the Court’s Rules. Details of filing follow and important additional information about these are set out below. Details of Filing Document Lodged: Submissions File Number: QUD535/2013 File Title: Lex Wotton & Ors v State of Queensland & Anor Registry: QUEENSLAND REGISTRY - FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA Dated: 14/04/2016 7:54:58 AM AEST Registrar Important Information As required by the Court’s Rules, this Notice has been inserted as the first page of the document which has been accepted for electronic filing. It is now taken to be part of that document for the purposes of the proceeding in the Court and contains important information for all parties to that proceeding. It must be included in the document served on each of those parties. The date and time of lodgment also shown above are the date and time that the document was received by the Court. Under the Court’s Rules the date of filing of the document is the day it was lodged (if that is a business day for the Registry which accepts it and the document was received by 4.30 pm local time at that Registry) or otherwise the next working day for that Registry. Federal Court of Australia No. QUD 535 of 2013 District Registry: Queensland Division: General Division Lex Wotton and Others Applicants State of Queensland and Another Respondents APPLICANTS’ CLOSING SUBMISSIONS Filed on behalf of the Applicants Prepared by Daniel Meyerowitz-Katz, Levitt Robinson Solicitors T (02) 9286 3133; E [email protected] Level 6, 162 Goulburn Street, Sydney (East) NSW 2010 CONTENTS A. OVERVIEW................................................................................................................................ 10 B. REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDINGS ................................................................................... 12 C. BACKGROUND AND CONTEXTUAL MATTERS .......................................................... 14 C.1. SECTION 9(1) OF THE RDA ..................................................................................................................... 14 C.1.1 ELEMENTS OF SECTION 9(1) .................................................................................................................... 15 C.1.2 PROVING THE ELEMENTS OF SECTION 9(1) ............................................................................................. 16 C.1.3 BURDEN AND STANDARD OF PROOF AND INFERENCES ........................................................................ 17 C.1.4 REQUIREMENT OF COMPARATOR ........................................................................................................... 21 C.1.5 IDENTIFICATION OF HUMAN RIGHT OR FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOM ....................................................... 21 (a) Nature of human rights and fundamental freedoms ........................................................................... 22 (b) Sources of rights........................................................................................................................................ 23 C.1.6 SHARED “RACE, COLOUR, DESCENT OR NATIONAL OR ETHNIC ORIGIN” .............................................. 25 C.1.7 “ACT” DONE BY A “PERSON” .................................................................................................................. 26 C.1.8 MEANING OF ‘DISTINCTION, EXCLUSION, RESTRICTION OR PREFERENCE’ ............................................ 27 C.1.9 MEANING OF THE PHRASE “BASED ON” ................................................................................................. 28 C.1.10 EQUAL FOOTING ................................................................................................................................... 30 C.2. ABORIGINAL DEATHS IN CUSTODY AND THE COMMUNITY.................................................................. 31 C.2.1 COMMUNITY NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS .............................................................................................. 31 C.2.2 ROYAL COMMISSION REPORT ................................................................................................................. 33 (a) Police knowledge of Royal Commission report ................................................................................... 33 (b) Community knowledge of Royal Commission report ........................................................................ 34 C.2.3 CULTURAL NEEDS PECULIAR TO THE COMMUNITY ................................................................................ 36 2 C.3. POLICE DUTIES IN THE CONDUCT OF AN INVESTIGATION .................................................................... 37 C.3.1 DUTIES AT COMMON LAW ...................................................................................................................... 37 C.3.2 DUTIES UNDER THE OPM ....................................................................................................................... 38 C.3.3 IMPARTIALITY AND NATURAL JUSTICE ................................................................................................... 41 D. QPS FAILURES OF 19 TO 24 NOVEMBER 2004 ............................................................... 43 D.1. COMPROMISE OF INTEGRITY OF INVESTIGATION ................................................................................. 43 D.1.1 DRIVE FROM THE AIRPORT WITH SS HURLEY ........................................................................................ 43 (a) Other transport options ........................................................................................................................... 44 (b) Discussions during the drive .................................................................................................................. 44 (c) Knowledge that SS Hurley was the arresting officer ........................................................................... 45 (d) Compromise of integrity of investigation ............................................................................................. 48 D.1.2 DINNER WITH SS HURLEY ...................................................................................................................... 49 D.1.3 FAILURE TO TREAT SS HURLEY AS A SUSPECT ....................................................................................... 52 (a) First Bramwell interview ......................................................................................................................... 54 (b) Second Bramwell interview .................................................................................................................... 56 (c) Trip to Dee Street ...................................................................................................................................... 57 D.1.4 SS HURLEY PERFORMING DUTIES AT THE SCENE ................................................................................... 59 D.1.5 APPOINTMENT OF DS ROBINSON TO INVESTIGATION TEAM ................................................................. 62 D.1.6 APPOINTMENT OF DSS KITCHING TO INVESTIGATION TEAM ............................................................... 64 D.1.7 FAILURE TO PRESERVE INDEPENDENT VERSIONS OF EVENTS ................................................................. 65 D.1.8 FAILURE TO TAKE STATEMENTS FROM POLICE WITNESSES ..................................................................... 68 D.1.9 FAILURE TO INTERVIEW CONST STEADMAN .......................................................................................... 69 D.1.10 FAILURE OF SUPERVISION BY INSP WILLIAMS ...................................................................................... 70 D.1.11 TREATMENT OF PLO BENGAROO ......................................................................................................... 72 D.2. FAILURE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO ABORIGINAL WITNESSES .............................................................. 74 3 (a) Support persons ........................................................................................................................................ 75 (b) Cultural and sociological issues ............................................................................................................. 76 D.3. FORM 1 AND AUTOPSY ............................................................................................................................ 77 D.3.1 DELAY IN SENDING FORM 1.................................................................................................................... 78 D.3.2 DISCREPANCIES IN FORM 1 ..................................................................................................................... 79 D.3.3 FAILURE TO INCLUDE ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS ...................................................................................... 80 D.3.4 FAILURE TO ADVISE PATHOLOGIST OF ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS ............................................................ 81 D.3.5 BREACHES OF DUTIES .............................................................................................................................. 82 D.4. FAILURE TO MEET THE CULTURAL NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS OF THE COMMUNITY ........................ 83 D.4.1 FAILURE OF CAU.................................................................................................................................... 84 D.4.2 FAILURE OF CCLO ................................................................................................................................