Judge 'breached Ethics'
Sydney Morning Herald
Saturday February 11, 1989
BRISBANE: A Queensland Supreme Court judge, Justice Connolly, had breached judicial ethics with courtroom comments about Aborigines, the State Opposition spokesman on legal affairs, Mr Deane Wells, said yesterday.
Justice Connolly told the Supreme Court last week that Aborigines were dying in jails because of alcohol and that to blame prison officials was "the height of hypocrisy".
Many Aborigines were pensioners who spent their money on alcohol and taxi cabs "at great cost to the Australian public".
The office of the Minister for Justice, Mr Clauson, defended Justice Connolly's right to speak freely in court.
"Justice Connolly was quite entitled to make any statements he wished in court," a spokeswoman said.
Mr Wells agreed that it would be inappropriate for Mr Clauson to instruct Justice Connolly, but it would be appropriate for Mr Clauson to acknowledge regret at what had been said.
© 1989 Sydney Morning Herald