Gertie's Law

"What is a podcast?" Gertie's Law executive producer Sarah Dolan talks to StoryCraft host Ben Hart about how the Supreme Court of Victoria embraced new media to educate and inform in an entertaining way. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

We've received your questions and in this final episode of Gertie’s Law, they get answered. What influences lawyers to challenge a juror during empanelment? Does a murder involving family violence attract a larger sentence? When does criticism become defamation? And are there more right wing terrorist cases coming to the court? Hear the answers to these questions and more in the final episode of Gertie’s Law. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Last episode we looked at completed terrorist acts, and why they attract such large sentences, however cases involving completed terrorist acts are rare, indeed the first one in Victoria was in 2019. Most terrorism cases which come before the Supreme Court occur before an act of terrorism has taken place. They’re preparatory offenses, that is, preparing to commit a terrorist act or conspiring to prepare for a terrorist act. In this episode we look at the difficult problem of how far back is the right time to criminalise preparatory offenses. Too far back and you confront the idea of thought crimes. Too late and the results may well be horrendous. Hear from judges, defense and prosecution barristers and find out how these cases are argued and what happens when they come to the Supreme Court. Links to cases discussed in this episode. The Queen v Cerantonio & Ors [http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/vic/VSC/2019/284.html] R v Fattal & Ors [http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/vic/VSC/2011/681.html] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Terrorism cases are among the most high-profile offences to come to the Supreme Court. The trials are complicated and usually long, as are the resulting sentences. The cases attract a lot of public interest. On the day of a sentence, the public galleries and press seats will be full, and TV cameras, lights and journos will be set up outside the Court to film what they can. Only a few terrorism trials have been heard in Australia, and in this episode we look closely at two of them. This episode of Gertie’s Law details what terrorist offences are, and what happens when they come before a judge of the Supreme Court. Links to cases discussed in this episode. The Queen v Shoma [http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/vic/VSC/2019/367.html] The Queen v Mohamed, Chaarani & Moukhaibe [http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/vic/VSC/2019/498.html] Court of Appeal Chaarani & Ors v The Queen [http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/cases/vic/VSCA//2020/88.html] High Court Chaarani v The Queen; Moukhaiber v The Queen [http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/cases/cth/HCATrans//2020/161.html] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Courtrooms can be stressful places, especially if you’re giving evidence. Two of the court’s recent employees, Lucy and Coop are helping to take the stress out of being in court. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.