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1 Mar, 5 tweets, 2 min read
Anyone doubting the rule of law - and the integrity of police investigations and prosecutorial discretions - is in for a torrid future should see today's unceasing media push for, in effect, prime ministers & premiers to become involved in and direct police investigations. Crazy.
I, for one, am sure the same media that believes Cardinal Pell 'got off on a technicality' - when his appeal was allowed, his convictions quashed & judgments of acquittal entered by a unanimous High Court - will treat these allegations of grave crimes in a sensible & calm manner.
The deafening silence of our very online and opinionated lawyer soviet - who have all kept quiet or ridden the digital herd, thinking this will never happen to them or their clients - is noted. Absolutely appalling.
There is a wicked 'rule of law' problem here. I could see a strong case that if Police are investigating a crime & X is (at least) a witness & X refuses to cooperate with Police and give a statement, then X cannot be a Minister even as presumed innocent

In Litigation, the Crown & its Departments are held to a Model Litigant standard. As a Minister of the Crown, you must conduct yourself in a manner above reproach. Not cooperating with Police would be disqualifying for an office you hold only at the G-G's pleasure [per s.64].

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More from @GrayConnolly

Gray Connolly Profile picture
16 Feb
Good morning all on this Ash Wednesday & the beginning of Lent
There is no doctrine in Catholicism that one “logs off” for Lent. That is abandoning the lay faithful & those whose salvation may depend on your periodically sound content. Reasonably sure Pius IX said always to post through Lent - indeed post through all of life’s travails
“Never stop posting - never log off, and remember that Purgatory involves a thorough review of all your bad content” ~ Clovis, ‘Against The Republic’ (date unknown)
Read 5 tweets
Gray Connolly Profile picture
15 Feb
Is there a *non-political* short explainer of why Victoria's Dept of Health cannot do (in terms of contact tracing etc) what the NSW Dept of Health does, so obviously & unusually well, every day? I just presume these two very large Health Depts regularly talk and exchange notes?
To take politics out, constitutionally, Quarantine is a Commonwealth responsibility (s.51(ix)) and the CTH, in Sydney anyway, used to operate the Quarantine Station at North Head until the mid 1980s. A revived national Quarantine infrastructure will (it seems) be needed.
Actually did a small thread on Quarantine last year fwiw provoked by the idiocies at that time as we were just beginning to deal with Covid. A strict quarantine enforced even against returning Australian soldiers from WW1.

Read 4 tweets
Gray Connolly Profile picture
9 Feb
The posturing popinjays of the American legislature - who all ran for their lives & abandoned their positions when the riotous mob came, the Cowards - putting on yet another one of their periodic cases for Monarchy - indeed for an absolutist Monarchy.
As @rohancct sagely noted, the inability of the American republic to cope with elections and their results has pushed the ill-thought out republican cause in the rest of the Anglosphere back, which is a true blessing. These periodic nerdish faux-regicides are worse than any King
The American republic's impeachment amounts to the best legislators literal money can buy sitting in judgment of the man who won the prize they all seek. It is essentially a losers' court & an indicator of deep regret for not having a Monarch, merely a document none of them read.
Read 5 tweets
Gray Connolly Profile picture
15 Jan
Noticing this map going around showing the long term impact of Communism on the former East Germany (noticing also there were underground churches in the former DDR as well as an official church in which Angela Merkel's father was a pastor). In the West, the pre-war continues.
Germany's Reformation settlement had, generally, Protestantism strongest in the North & East with Catholicism strongest on the Rhine and in Bavaria. To survive as a large minority, Catholics (of all classes) had their own party (and best art) from 1870s: the Zentrum/Centre Party
In simplex, the electoral history of Germany pre-1933 was the Catholic Centre Party winning the Rhineland & Bavaria versus whoever won periodic battles between the Old Right, Social Democrats, Communists & Nazis.
Read 10 tweets
Gray Connolly Profile picture
15 Jan
Noting Sal's disappointment: a Bill of Attainder is a legislative judgment of guilt. In the 17thC esp the Parliament could function as/usurp the role of a Court to judge persons for crimes & vote on their guilt (with or without a trial) & assign a punishment, including death.
To be clear: the major vice of a Bill of Attainder is that the legislature invades the realm of the Court .... also that the legislature may vote X as guilty of vague crimes otherwise not previously be known as to law & entirely on the basis of prejudice against X & not evidence.
Bills of Attainder often specified in the Bill that X was guilty of crime Y and must suffer death - we are most horrified by death as a punishment but historically it was very common, especially in political cases involving loyalties & success/corruption in governmental workings
Read 11 tweets
Gray Connolly Profile picture
10 Jan
Good morning all & OTD in 49BC, Gaius Julius Caesar & his Army crossed the Rubicon. Caesar had served as a military tribune, quaestor, praetor, Consul & pro-consul, conquering Gaul. When a corrupt Senate sought Caesar's recall, he commenced his march on Rome. "Alea iacta est"
Not sure if it is the date but noticing a lot of very bad Roman history takes. The Romans of 49BC did have massive senatorial corruption problems. But also a huge problem of underemployed Romans, as empire's growth meant slaves (product of conquest) doing formerly paid work doing
I find Roman history endlessly fascinating - #SPQR and all that - but in 49BC, everyone (even people I otherwise despise like Cicero and Cato) were serious people, not grifting, not performing. What should worry was Caesar & his Army pushed at an open door, winning many over.
Read 5 tweets

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