SEARCH
Justinian News

Does the NSW Law Society have rules about a solicitor who reposted racist and antisemitic remarks and urged "freedom minded" people to read the "brilliant" Mein Kampf... More >> 

Politics Media Law Society

My Role in Gough's Downfall ... Reporter-at-Large … Scoops that flushed out the deceit behind the Dismissal … Big anniversary chinwag in Canberra on November 11 … The combined forces of Kerr, Ellicott and cousin Garfield … Constitutional manipulation … Maurice Byers to the rescue ... Read more >> 

Free Newsletter
Justinian Columnists

Knit one, purl one ... Iron Lady of legal rectitude endorses Gageler ... The chief justice wants judges on the straight and narrow ... The cardboard cutout model of legislative supremacy ... The evils of judicial activism ... Procrustes on the dance floor with the Legislative-Judicial Foxtrot ... Read more >> 

Blow the whistle

 

News snips ...


 Hard on the heels of Prima Facie comes Inter Alia ... More >>

Justinian's Bloggers

Berlusconi's dream world ... Revenge politics in Italy ... Independence of prosecutors under attack ... Constitutional assault ... The years of lead ... Investigations reopened into old murders ... High drama at Milan's Leoncavallo ... Rome correspondent Silvana Olivetti reports ... Read more >> 

"If we’re only picking people who have got completely lily-white records then we’ll be missing out on a lot of people that can contribute to public life.

NSW Premier Chris Minns, endorsing Mal Lanyon, his pick for Police Commissioner, whose contributions to public life include shouting drunken obscenities at a paramedic who came to his aid, and commandeering a police launch for private entertainment on New Year's eve ... Read more flatulence ... 


Justinian Featurettes

Schmoozing and betrayal ... Judge Water Softener rides into Integrityville mounted high on his horse ... Judicial review of corruption finding ... Intriguing submissions ... Unprecedented assistance to morals monitor ... The scale of the sub-rosa intrigue ... Plenty to think about ... Ginger Snatch reports ... Read more >> 

Justinian's archive

News Desk Special ... Angelic death notices from the bar ... Soapy slips on FOI changes ... Unusual interlocutory costs order for Chris Dale ... Judge ticks off Abbott in letters' page ... Knock About's festive salute to the coppers ... January 19, 2015 ... Read more >> 


 

 

« A life in Commonwealth cars is not a good look | Main | It's a Dizzy world »
Wednesday
Oct092024

Regrets

The then Media Watch host and one of the country's most magnificent silks birched in the High Court for not sticking to the rules ... Scratchy Stu ... From Justinian's Archive, May 1997

Littlemore, in a gleaming, unscratched car

It was distressing to see barrister S. Littlemore QC, the noted duco tormentor, being set upon in the High Court. 

How can a important man, with a large extramural career devoted to ridding society of the influences of an evil media, be expected to know, let alone follow, all the trifling rules of court?

Justice Michael McHugh was completely and utterly out of line with his penny ante objections. 

Reputedly on one occasion the self-effacing barrister had to ask Qantas cabin crew: "Don't you know who I am?" 

Littlemore could just as readily ask the same question of Justice McHugh. 

How he endured the interruptions during the special leave application concerning the personal injuries matter of Wynbergen v Hoyts Corporation is beyond endurance. 

Justice McHugh: Mr Littlemore, before you continue there is something I have to draw your attention to and that is your summary of argument does not comply with the rules. It tells the court nothing as to what your argument is.

Littlemore: I apologise for that. I was unaware that it was not in compliance with the rules, your Honour.

McHugh: We want to know what your argument is. Your refer [to] 'references to the argument in the court below', and that is not the question that is posed by the rules. And there is a reference to Justice Clarke at 75.8 and 78.1. I have checked those references. It is impossible to determine what your argument is by reason of those references. I do not know whether it is line 8 or line 1 or point 8 on the page, but whichever of those alternatives it is, it does not assist us. I have drawn your attention to it and in future it ought to be known that it is not sufficient just to refer to passages in the judgments below. The rule requires the party's argument, although briefly. I do not want to embarrass you in any way but I just draw your attention for the future.

Littlemore: I regret it did not meet with your Honour's needs. 

 

Reader Comments

There are no comments for this journal entry. To create a new comment, use the form below.
Editor Permission Required
You must have editing permission for this entry in order to post comments.