A matter of conviction
Folklaw was most interested to read that York University, a public research university in Toronto, Canada, this month played host to a conference with a twist. No, not Hula Hoopers Anonymous
Folklaw was most interested to read that York University, a public research university in Toronto, Canada, this month played host to a conference with a twist. No, not Hula Hoopers Anonymous '09, but the Wrongly Convicted '09 Conference.
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Co-ordinated by the Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted (AIDWYC), the conference featured as keynote speakers a former judge of the Supreme Court of Canada and past chairman of the Ontario Civil Liberties Section of the Canadian Bar association, Peter Cory, and the founding director of the AIDWYC, James Lockyer. Lockyer is credited with exposing more than ten wrongful convictions in Canada.
Folklaw believes that Australia should hold its own conference on the subject of wrongful conviction, and suggests the following topics for lectures and workshops:
1) I can't be guilty, I was with my mistress at the time: A discussion of likely divorce repercussions of this defence and pre-nuptial negotiations to protect your future income on films and books.
2) It was a moment of passion: Why a court will accept that the ass-whupping of our favourite team is justification for you resorting to the murder of rival supporters, particularly verbally antagonistic ones.
3) It wasn't me, I was just holding the torch: A legal justification of why the person chosen to drive the car/smash in the door/hold the torch was merely carrying out a duty of employment for a non law-abiding employer. After all, it is a recession and work is hard to come by.
4) I have no recollection of that incident: Advice on how to procure medical experts who will attest that you were totally incapable of movement, let alone violence, after consuming that much bourbon.
5) I wasn't there, and 12 guys at the Red Lion Hotel can prove it: The tax return ramifications of spending to entertain friends and acquaintances and the flexible parameters of a self-employed worker's expense account.
- Wendy Beecroft