Sorry bid for minister’s jab at lawyers

THE Law Society of Tasmania has demanded an apology from Police Minister Michael Ferguson over comments he made during debate on anticonsorting legislation in which he appeared to suggest criminal defence lawyers’ interests were aligned with those of biker gangs.

The State Government last month passed laws aimed at breaking up criminal gangs by imposing fines or jail time on convicted offenders who met twice within five years.

The Law Society of Tasmania and the Australian Lawyers Alliance criticised the legislation upon its release for being too broad.

During debate in the Lower House, Mr Ferguson accused the Opposition of moving amendments which, if passed, would change the legislation to “criminal defence lawyers’ preferred model, which … plays only to their interests”.

He added: “Who do criminal defence lawyers represent? They represent criminals.”

Mr Ferguson also said some proposed changes to appeals provisions would “give the upper hand to the outlaw bikie gangs and their criminal defence lawyers”.

Law Society of Tasmania president Will Justo has written a letter to Mr Ferguson in which he condemned comments he labelled “without foundation, dishonourable and disgraceful”.

He suggested Mr Ferguson had “little idea of or regard” for the rule of law.

“You clearly suggest that the interests of criminal defence lawyers and criminals are one and the same,” Mr Justo said.

“Such a suggestion is profoundly wrong and profoundly disappointing.

“The job of a criminal defence lawyer is hard enough without a minister of the Crown denigrating that group of professionals for simply doing their job and suggesting amendments to a piece of legislation in good faith and based on sound policy.”

Mr Ferguson yesterday did not back down from his comments.

“The Government makes no apology for its tough-oncrime approach and our actions to improve the safety of the Tasmanian community,” he said.