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According to Tom Bathurst, recently appointed Chief Justice of NSW, judges should speak out more. Chief Justice Bathurst was reported yesterday as saying that judges should explain to the public the process of sentencing so as to improve confidence in the judiciary.
Good point. There has been considerable public disquiet recently - particularly in NSW and Victoria - about sentencing for serious crimes. However, the Chief Justice's logic is also relevant to verdicts in criminal trials where defendants have their case resolved by a judge instead of a jury.
Take, for example, a case that is officially termed R v BUSB. Judgment was handed down by Judge Leonie Flannery in the NSW District Court on June 10, but the media were not given permission to refer to the case until late last week. Judge Flannery found that the accused was not guilty of attempting to murder or cause grievous bodily harm to police Sergeant Adam Wolsey.