AUSTRALIA
lewisblayse.net
Lewis Blayse
A little bit of heresy today.
If the government had appointed a quiz-show compere to head the Royal Commission, it would seem silly. We would see lots of flashing lights, loud buzzers, and over-acting.
The head sets the tone and style. Judges automatically establish a court environment. That is not necessarily the best environment to tackle the tasks at hand. For victims, it is an intimidating environment. Lawyers, not victims, get to quiz people like Pell. Sometimes it is just a lawyer speaking on behalf of people like Pell. Sometimes it is just two lawyers facing off in front of the judge. The advantage is with the side which can afford the most lawyers. The victims can be forgotten in the quasi-judicial process.
Of the above reasons for not having a mock-up of a court, the most important one is that the abusers and their protective organisations are not confronted with the reality of their crimes. Does anyone really expect Justice McClellan to let a victim, or victims’ rights activist, to directly question Pell? Would Pell be able to keep his cool if questioned directly by victims, rather than through someone’s lawyer?
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