Big Boss Fella All Same Judge

A History of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory

Dean Mildren

Foreword The Hon Robert French AC Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia

THE FEDERATION PRESS 2011 Contents

Foreword The Hon Robert French AC V Preface xvjii Acknowledgements xix List of Illustrations xx Black and white illustrations xx Colour illustrations xxii

1 South Australia's Northern Territory 1 Introduction 1 Creating the Boundaries 2 Annexation to South Australia 3 Legislative Powers 4 Inherited Laws 5 Executive Governance 6 The Judiciary 6 The Northern Territory Justice Bill 1873 7 First Circuit Sitting 8 The Northern Territory Justice Act 1875 9 The Commissioners 10 Appeals 12 The Courthouse 13 Alice Springs 15

2 The Judges of the Northern Territory 18 The First Judge of the Northern Territory - Mr Justice Pater 18 Mr Justice Dashwood 22 Mr Justice Herbert 27 Mr Justice Samuel James Mitchell 31 Transfer of the Northern Territory to the Commonwealth 31

3 The Establishment of the Supreme Court 34 The Establishment of the Supreme Court 34 Dr John Gilruth 37 Mr Justice Bevan 38 The Courthouse and Library 40

4 The Gilruth Years 44 The Supreme Court under Mr Justice Bevan 44 The Independence of the Judiciary 45 Nelson, Gilruth and the Growth of Union Power 47 Bevan Comes Under Attack 49 The Expulsion of Carey, Evans and Bevan 53 Contents

5 The Court and the Royal Commission 56 The Royal Commissioner 56 The Royal Commission 57 The Findings Concerning Mr Justice Bevan 57 The Dismissal 62 Was Bevan's Dismissal Justified? 62 Deputy Judge Hogan 63

6 Judge Roberts 67 Executive Changes 1920-1922 68 Story and Braham 69 Relations with the Press 72 Writs of Habeas Corpus and Prohibition 73 In re Bateman 75 Resignation 75 Conclusions 76

7 The Two Territories and Justice Mallam 78 The Northern Australia Act 1926 78 Justice Mallam 81 Acting Justice Sharwood 86

8 The Court in 1933-1934 89 Justice Wells' Background Before His Appointment 90 Conditions in the Territory in 1933 90 Justice Wells' First Trial 93 Conditions in the Courthouse 93 Gathering Storms 96 The Trials of Mounted Constable Gordon Stott 96 Civil Juries 103 Reform of Law Relating to Murder and the Proposed Criminal Code 103 The Caledon Bay Murder Trials 103 The Trial of Butcher for Murder 105 The Trial of Tuckiar and Merara for Murder 106 The Trial of Tuckiar for the Murder of Constable McColl 106 Conclusions 112

9 The Years Before the War 1935-1939 116 First Sittings in Alice Springs 116 A Case of Pointing the Bone 119 A Severe Sentencer? 120 Corporal Punishment and Government Policy towards Punishment 121 Contents

First Female Judicial Officer 124 The Japanese Lugger Cases 124 Native Courts 126

10 The War Years 127 The Court gains Jurisdiction in Prize 129 Wells Goes on Leave 130 Citizens War Effort Committee 132 The Bombing of Darwin 133 The Trial of Major Darroch 137

11 Post-War Reconstruction and the Return of the Court to Darwin 142 The Supreme Court 143 Joseph Wesley Nichols 147 Rv Jackie 148 Wells' Illness, Retirement and Death 148 Conclusions 149

12 Justice Kriewaldt 152 Aborigines and the Criminal Law 153 Aboriginal Evidence 156 The Right of an Aborigine to Sue in the Civil Courts 157 Justice Kriewaldt's Views on the Application of the Law to Aborigines 157 Assimilation 159 Native Courts 161 A Review of Justice Kriewaldt's Civil Judgments 162 Namatjira v Raabe 165 The Last Execution 168 Court Statistics 169 Conclusions 169 Acting Justice James Douglas 171 Interim Measures Following Justice Kriewaldt's Death 172 Office of Master 172

13 The Northern Territory Supreme Court Act 1961 174 Life Appointments 175 Reconstituting the Court 176 The Master 177 Female, Non-European and Aboriginal Jurors 178 Judges' Pensions 179 First Appointments 180 The Honourable Mr Justice Allan Bridge 183 Use of the Title "The Honourable" 184

xni Contents

The New Courthouse 185 Death of Bridge J 186 Sir Richard Blackburn 186 New Rules 190 The Honourable Mr Justice Forster 190 Important Changes Affecting the Court 190 The Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 191 Chief Judge 191 Self-Go vernment 191

14 The Growth of the Court before Self-Government 193 The Honourable Mr Justice Forster 194 The Roll of Legal Practitioners 198 The Honourable Mr Justice Muirhead 199 Courthouses at Alice Springs 203 The Shooting of Ted Skuse 205 The Honourable Mr Justice Ward 206 Cyclone Tracy 209 Senator Murphy 212 Changes to the Courthouse 212 The Honourable Mr Justice Toohey 214 The Honourable Mr Justice Gallop 215

15 Changes after Self-Government 218 The Supreme Court Act 1979 218 Changes to Criminal Law and Practice 220 Changes to Civil Law 222 Acting Justice Williams 223 The Honourable Mr Justice Nader 224 Sir William Kearney 226 The Honourable Mr Justice O'Leary 228 The Honourable Mr Justice Maurice 228 Conclusions 231

16 The Trial of the Century 233 A Child is Missing 233 An Inquest is Held 235 Further Police Inquiries are Made 236 A Second Inquest is Ordered 236 A Second Inquest is Held 237 The Trial of the Chamberlains 237 The Appeal to the Federal Court of Australia 240 The Appeal to the High Court of Australia 242 Conclusions on the High Court Appeal 244 Events After the High Court Appeal 245 Contents

The Morling Inquiry 245 Aftermath of the Morling Inquiry 246 Conclusions 247

17 The O'Leary Court 249 A New Chief Justice 249 The Court of Criminal Appeal and the Court of Appeal 250 The Honourable Mr Justice Rice 253 The Honourable Mr Justice Asche 255 The O'Leary Court 255 Northern Territory Reports 255 A New Master 256 A New District Court? 257 Miscellaneous Decisions in 1987 258 Retirement of O'Leary CJ 259 Future Plans 260 Jurisdiction in Family Law 261

18 The Asche Court 262 A New Chief Justice 262 Judges during the Period of the Asche Court 267 The Honourable Justice Brian Frank Martin AO MBE 267 The Honourable Justice David Angel 268 The Honourable Justice Dean Mildren RFD 271 The Honourable Justice Sally Thomas AM 272 The Honourable Justice Trevor Morling 274 The Honourable Justice Lancelot John Priestley 274 Acting Justice Gray 275 Director of Public Prosecutions 276 Important Decisions of the Asche Court 277 The Strange Case of Limbo v Little 279 Who has Burial Rights? 281 A Text Book on Tort Law - Mengel v The Northern Territory 282 The Trial and Sentencing of Aborigines - A Territory Jurisprudence 283 The New Supreme Court Building 284 Office of Courts Administration 286 Court Restructuring 287 The Waters Affair 288 A Judge's Wife Stands for Political Election 289

19 The First Martin Court 290 Chief Justice Brian Frank Martin AO MBE 290 The Judges of the First Martin Court 290 The Honourable Justice Steven Ronald Bailey 292 The Honourable Justice Trevor John Riley 293 Contents

The Honourable Justice Howard William Olney AM 294 Master Terence Francis Coulehan 295 The Territory Enacts Euthanasia Legislation - The Euthanasia Case - and the Andrews Bill 296 A New Sentencing Act 298 The Mandatory Sentencing Controversy 300 Wynbyne v Marshall - Can the Legislative Assembly Validly Enact Mandatory Sentencing? 300 A Constitutional Crisis is Averted 301 The Challenge to the Appointment of Chief Magistrate Hugh Bradley 304 The 2001 Election 309 Important Decisions of the First Martin Court 310 Significant Changes to Practice and Procedure 314 Conclusions 317

20 The Second Martin Court 319 Chief Justice Brian Ross Martin 319 The Judges of the Second Martin Court 321 The Honourable Justice Stephen Southwood 321 The Honourable Justice Judith Kelly 323 The Honourable Justice Blokland 324 The Honourable Justice John Reeves 325 The Honourable Justice John Mansfield 326 The Acting Judges 326 Acting Justice Leslie Trevor Olsson AO MBE KCSJ 327 Acting Justice Geoffrey Michael Eames 327 Master Vince Luppino 328 Fixing Minimum Sentences for Murder 329 The Falconio Trial 330 Some Other Important Decisions 335 Some Strange Cases 342

21 Future Directions 345 The Riley Court 345 The Honourable Justice Peter Barr 345 Court Staff 346 Centenary of the Court 346 The Future of the Court 347

Bibliography 353 Archival Records 353 Parliamentary Papers 353 Gazettes 353 Contents

Newspapers, Journals and Periodicals 353 Personal Interviews 353 Private Papers 354 Other Prime Sources 354 Books 354 Theses 356 Journal Articles, Booklets and Other Sources 356 Statutes and Regulations 357 Cases 359

Index 365

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