A former judge and Melbourne legal academic charged with allegedly revealing child abuse material during a class has faced the Magistrates Court with an application to green light his Europe trip.
Victoria Police have charged Justice Alan Boulton, 74, with one count of possessing child abuse material as a Commonwealth offence and two counts of possessing child abuse material.
Justice Boulton was giving a human rights lecture at Monash University’s city campus in early February when child abuse material allegedly appeared inadvertently on the screen.
The charges were laid after an interview and the seizure of his electronic devices during a search of his Middle Park home.
Appearing via audio-visual link at the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday (7 August), Justice Boulton’s lawyer, Holly Baxter, applied to remove a condition of his bail that would have prevented him from attending international ports of travel.
Baxter explained that Justice Boulton spent a “serious amount of money” on a trip to Europe and has provided the details to police.
The defence lawyer said the trip was only paid for after her legal offices confirmed there were “no issues” with police in July.
The application also relied on the approval of a trip Justice Boulton took near the beginning of the criminal investigation.
While prosecutors argued it was different because charges had since been laid, Magistrate Brett Sonnet said he was not persuaded, particularly given Justice Boulton’s age and lack of criminal history.
Other conditions were imposed on his bail, including the location he would reside and to not interfere with prosecution witnesses.
Justice Boulton will face court again in November.
Monash University has confirmed Justice Boulton has been suspended and removed from all duties.
Prior to becoming an academic, Justice Boulton was a senior deputy president of the Fair Work Commission and had been appointed first legal officer of the Australian Council of Trade Unions.
He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2022 for “distinguished service” to industrial arbitration and labour relations.
Naomi Neilson is a senior journalist with a focus on court reporting for Lawyers Weekly.
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