Hi Breaking. I think I can guarantee it wouldn't be one of us with what we've known since Allison's death we've never stooped so low. We may have vented on WS but never encroached from those boundaries. Our wonderful WS attendees were the minority, there were so many others there in court, even school kids.
Many of us knew where TM worked under her new name and didn't make any waves.
I'm actually really surprised that the defence is getting nasty messages.
They thought the prosecution had nothing but circumstance so they got cocky and dropped the ball IMHO.
I'm still disgusted with the slanderous suggestions pointed towards Allison, that still makes me fume.
It happens after every high profile case unfortunately. Sadly a section of the community sees defence lawyers as apologists for abhorrent criminal activity. Without getting into a political debate (which I'm sure is not allowed here anyway) a well known MP publicly lambasted defence lawyers (one firm in particular) as being part of the 'criminal machine' which goes to show the level of ignorance present even amongst our state's lawmakers.
I can completely understand your concern in regards to what you called slanderous suggestions towards Allison, you are entitled to that point of view but permit me if I may to explain why this occurred.
Brief legal lesson (yawns aplenty I'm sure!), while there is no constitutional right to representation in Australia as there is in many other countries, those accused of serious offences do have a common law right to representation by virtue of
Dietrich v The Queen [1992] HCA 57, if legal representation cannot be obtained for whatever reason then a stay of proceedings would be ordered which means the accused may never face trial for their alleged crime.
Further to this, the legal representative(s) must act for the accused in such a manner that a miscarriage of justice is avoided. Where an alternative scenario exists, even if it may be viewed as remote, it's an avenue that the defence must explore during trial lest the very real possibility that the verdict may be vacated on appeal if it is ignored. While it is never pleasant for family, friends and supporters of a victim (especially when the victim is deceased) to hear evidence that they might consider misleading or just plain wrong, it's an integral part of the judicial process in Australia. Nobody takes pleasure in speaking ill of the dead, even the dreaded defence lawyer! But the job of the defence lawyer is to assist the court in arriving at the truth (the same goes for the prosecution I might add) and in this case it includes cross examining witnesses who may not have held Allison in the esteem that most would think she deserves and advancing theories that some will inevitably find unthinkable and offensive but all the same cannot be ruled out by experts in their field.
Something I'd like to add is that barristers operate under what is referred to as the 'cab rank rule'. This means that if the barrister receives a brief, is available during the dates required and the fee is what would ordinarily be acceptable (as well as a few other conditions) then he/she MUST accept the brief, regardless of whether or not they believe the accused is guilty. Defence lawyers are human beings as well, they have children themselves, parents, brothers and sisters and friends like anyone else. Believe me when I say that they take no personal pleasure in defending a client accused of a heinous crime and despite the lack of admissions, is almost certainly guilty of that offence. However what they can take pleasure in is being an integral and indispensable part of the judicial process where if it wasn't for their expertise and willingness to act on behalf of the accused, knowing very well that they face public ridicule and abuse, a dangerous criminal might never even face trial.
It's a <modsnip> of a job at times and those who abuse and threaten members of the legal profession simply for appearing on behalf of someone (where often they don't even have a choice) need to take a bloody good hard look at themselves.
