Poor Judgement !

The ICAC case against leading Crown Prosecutor Margaret Cuneen is nearing collapse.   The hearing was postponed for ninety minutes because ICAC had failed to lodge key documents and this impelled the Chief Justice to describe the omission as a "scrappy hand up ".

This whole matter reeks of personal scores being settled and the NSW Deputy  Premier has seen fit to accuse ICAC of "pretty poor judgement " in pressing ahead with a case that clearly lacked merit.  It comes at a time when decision making in senior police ranks is also under fire.  The people we look to be be totally impartial and deliver justice without bias are showing the propensity to settle personal scores by using their power to involve the courts to blacken characters by guile and innuendo.

Another case of the "tall poppy syndrome " ended up with a judgement by the High Court which will have uncertain repercussions.   Back in December 2012 when the Duchess of Cambridge was suffering morning sickness and was hospitalized  Radio Station 2DayFM Dejay's Mel Greig and Michael Christian pulled an audacious stunt by phoning the hospital and pretending to be the Queen and Princes Charles.    They convinced a nurse who answered the phone to connect them to the Royal patient's ward.

Unfortunately, the nurse that connected that call was mortified - and committed suicide, and since then the matter has swirled around between an examination of the legal aspect - and what punishment should be inflicted on what some consider an "act of gross stupidity "!   The DJ's have apologised and it seems an unfortunate coincidence that the particular nurse involved was highly strung and had previously attempted to take her own life - and this incident finally pushed her over the edge.

It quickly became evident that competitive radio would milk this incident for all it was worth.  It became an issue in the courts and last year the Federal court found in favour of the station and decided that the Australian Communication and Media Authority ( ACMA ) had overstepped it's boundaries in handing out punishment.   This was then appealed to the High Court, and that court has upheld the ACMA contention that it had the power to to make an administrative finding - or express an opinion that a person had committed a criminal offence ".

It seems that 2DayFM may be stripped of it's broadcasting license under this finding.  It is one of the leading stations and if it is forced off the air this will seem a huge overreaction to what was intended to be a fairly harmless gag.  It certainly was not intended to do harm and by pure chance the person who picked up that phone was somebody whom fate had disposed to suffer a nervous disposition that would lead to tragedy.  Hundreds of others may have chanced to take that phone call - and the incident would have been treated as pure comedy on both sides of the world.

Radio lives and dies by the ratings bestowed by listeners.  Performers who drag in audience numbers earn big money - and keeping those numbers tuning in depends on the crazy entertainment offered.
Competitors using this issue to try and damage a rival couldn't care less about the unfortunate death of a nurse.   To them, it is a chance to score a victory and destroy a rival - and that is an aim they will pursue even if it takes years and involves a huge expenditure.

It seems that those in high places who should be earning our respect - in places like the courts, law enforcement and the big end of town -  are just as prone to run personal vendettas and play fast and loose with the truth as the criminal milieu they profess to despise.