Yarraside judge's wedding toasted in dark beverage reserved "for mature gentlemen" ... Controversy over CJ's bill leads to defections from the International Tribunal for Natural Justice ... NSW's QC campaign dead as a dodo ... Latest performance indicators for courts from the Productivity Commission
THE latest fermentation from former Tasmanian sol-general Leigh Sealy's brewery is a "nuptial stout" labelled "Nettle's Best".
The stout, described as being "for mature gentlemen", was brewed specially as part of the festivities to mark the wedding of Yarraside Supremo, Peter Vickery.
It is the latest production from the Brewer General's refurbished hi-tech vats and plant in Hobart. The "hard" water traditionally used in stout production, had to be tanked in from bores in Canberra.
Nettle's Best is slightly pungent on the palate with a penetrating nutty and dry after-taste and an aroma of old slippers.
The stout follows other collectors' items from the Brewer General: Nun's Knee and the Pope's Toe.
The Brewer General arrives at his hi-tech beverage plant
The brewery is open to bespoke commissions to mark auspicious legally-inspired events.
* * *
You need to be brought up to speed on the doings of the International Tribunal for Natural Justice.
So far Melbourne barrister Sir John Walsh of Brannagh, the Duke of Ronceray, etc, etc, is the only appointed judge of the tribunal. In fact, he is the chief justice of the ITNJ.
You can pick up deeper details of Sir John's bio here (from 2001, updated to 2015) and Legal Cheek has more information here.
Here's Sir John in action in the Ukraine, observing the trial of the former PM, Yulia Tymoshenko ...
The ITNJ's modest mission is to "protect and defend the natural rights of all peoples and all sovereign beings everywhere ... Wherever justice has been denied, the ITNJ will serve as final arbiter of natural law."
It is a joint initiative of Humanitad and the New Earth Trust.
There are currently two cases before the tribunal: Unified Common Law Grand Jury of Southern Africa (UZA) v Republic of South Africa and the Constitutional Court of South Africa, and National Child Protection Alliance v Commonwealth of Australia.
UZA v South Africa seems to be a criminal complaint against the Republic of South Africa (Inc) for impersonating a lawful republic. More details from the people at Sovereign Voice here.
In NCPA v Commonwealth of Aust the applicant is seeking a declaration that the Family Law Act and its implementation through the courts, the judiciary and the legal system are in "direct breach of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child".
The tribunal is having difficult getting South Africa to appear, although it believes it has the "power" to make default judgments. In the Australian case there was scheduled to be a directions hearing in January, but there's no fresh news about this on ITNJ's website.
The authority of the tribunal is reinforced by some very fine decorative adornments, including its official logo of a pine cone on top of the infinity symbol and a smart looking seal with eight gold stars on a blue background.
It's surprising more attention hasn't been paid to the work of the ITNJ, particularly as it has an impressive board of trustees, including:
• Dr Nancy Ash, "a modern day mystic, and has been a veteran teacher and pioneering midwife to the new paradigm since the 1970s". Dr Ash is also a "Oneness" advocate.
• Justin Deschamps, a physics, psychology and spirituality student who has been searching for truth all his life.
• Caleb Skinner, is involved in "freedom ideology" and has "a great deal of interest in developing out a world where the person stands in the middle of the circle, not the edge; and using software to assist in that goal".
• Sacha Stone, a former rock musician and artist. He founded New Earth Project (New Earth Nation), "the world's most fully integrated movement for sustainable, sovereign and self-determining communities. It operates as a universal trust engaging micro-nations by treaty and exists outside of the fictitious enclosures dreamt up by corporation-governments and institutions."
You get the picture.
However, all is not well with the tribunal and its founding organisations. There's dissension in the ranks, with ITNJ's founding members from the USA jumping ship over allegations that the tribunal is diverting funds from its original purpose.
There's an allegation that the CJ ran up a bill of $250,000 for him, Lady Walsh of Brannagh and two gofers to visit the UK.
The Americans also want a grand jury model for the tribunal, not one where the final word comes from "judges".
The former chief administrator and registrar of the ITNJ has withdrawn from the Earth Peace Treaty, the New Earth Nation and the tribunal.
Some of the members of New Earth Nation, etc. believe that corporations are masquerading as governments, consequently there is no legitimate government.
The Bundy family stand-off in Oregon on federal land meets with their approval because they are standing up to an illegal government imposed on all free men.
Fortunately, the work of the USA team will continue through the Natural Justice Academy and Adventures into Sovereignty.
There's a lot of whacky fun to be had out there on the edge of the universe.
* * *
Republican roll-call
Seven of the eight states and territories have signed onto the republican movement, supporting a declaration that reads:
"We, the undersigned premiers and chief ministers of Australia, believe that Australians should have an Australian as our head of state."
Western Australia's premier, Colin Barnett, says he supports the idea of Australia becoming a republic, but not just yet.
Importantly, the three biggest states are onboard, NSW, Victoria and Queensland. So, where does that leave the monarchist branded post nominals for important briefs?
In NSW the declaration is the strongest indication to date that the bar 'n grill's push for silks to be QCs is a dead duck. It would be ludicrous for the Baird government to say it supports a republic and then start doling out letters patent to barristers.
The situation remains peculiar in Victoria and Queensland, with governments led by republican premiers awarding senior briefs the royal bauble.
Last year's the NSW bar counsel made a submission to the attorney general pushing the QC barrow, even though the executive did not support it.
Now that the current council trounced the pro-QC faction at the elections at the end of last year, we anticipate that the issue will be allowed to run dead.
* * *
For those interested in judicial and court performance here are the latest stats from the Productivity Commission.
Productivity Commission - court performance 2015
Access indicators, backlogs, attendances per finalisation, clearance rates - all are in the frame.
Work it out, if you can.
NSW attorney general Gabrielle (Goody-Two-Shoes) Upton was ecstatic about the figures, claiming that the NSW Local Court remains "a national leader with clearance rates exceeding 100 percent".
Goody also nominated the NSW Supremes as "a winner in this year's report".
"For the first time in five years, all areas of the NSW Supreme Court delivered clearance rates over 100 percent while also halving its criminal non-appeal backlog."
Of course, this was all due to the NSW government's "investment in court infrastructure and services".