This thread is so interesting :). Take it from PERSONAL experience with police, the courts, and others regarding criminal cover ups when it comes to police breaking the law.
This is only opinion, mind you [ hee hee hee ]
The DPP in this instance was TOLD what to find by ?
Certain entities connected to the case will NOT be told what to find [ hence the inditment ].
There is a clandestine network envolving high ranking police and a thin thread of underlings placed in key positions that protect the integrety of all officers no matter what they do. This network extends to police prosecuters in at least one magistrates court, a police stooly in the CMC that passes on all complaints against police TO police before the CMC ever gets to hear about it [ time for cover up fellers ]. Key person or persons in Beatties office that tell key persons in the police how to proceed against political agitators.
Do you think evidence against 5 people in police, courts, public service [ max jail time 3-5 years ] qualifies me to KNOW what I'm talking about ? Wake up please, it's time for REAL investigation by someone who has nothing to hide.

It seems as though justice might, and I only say might, be about to overtake the protagonist on Palm Island at last. Even though he is charged, it is still unlikely that a Queensland court will find him guilty. In the remote chance that he is found guilty, there will undoubtedly be an appeal and so it will go on to the usual Queensland whitewash of police "misdemeanors".

So Hurley has been charged afterall. Thank goodness for that. I’m not passing judgement on his guilt or innocence, just expressing a very strong view that in this instance there is most definitely enough evidence for him to be charged, and that such a serious and high-profile matter simply MUST be sorted out in an open court.

So now the police are taking extraordinary action in protest of him being charged!

Well!

Just when I thought that nothing in this amazing saga could shock or amaze me further, I find another chapter that I consider to be as bad as anything that has happened to date.

The police must SURELY support the notion that a person involved in a major incident who is not patently innocent of any wrongdoing, should be charged and tried in a court of law. How can they possibly not support this? How can they be seen to be placing themselves and Senior Sergeant Hurley fairly and squarely above the law?

How dare they give the impression that police officers can act with impunity, even to the extent of being involved in a death in their immediate presence, without being publicly held to account?

Needless to say I am utterly disgusted with the police protest against the charging of Chris Hurley.

"I’m not passing judgement on his guilt or innocence,"

But you do think that:
"..sensible straightforward reporting, and opinions, by all sorts of people in full gamut of the media, suggests that Hurley is probably guilty ..."
http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=5586

Is that why you are happy to turn a blind eye to the political interference?

"...just expressing a very strong view that in this instance there is most definitely enough evidence for him to be charged"

Is that your expert opinion as an experienced criminal lawyer (which I presume you aren't) who isn't a party to the case and doesn't have all the facts?

"... serious and high-profile matter simply MUST be sorted out in an open court."

The existence of serious matters is why there is a DPP in the first place to decide whether or not they warrant going to court and to prosecute if they are. The system is founded on an innocent until proven guilty presumption. If a case can be made out against someone they must go to trial. If it can't they shouldn't have the stress and stigma of a trial. High profile is whatever media choose to report so it means nothing.

"The police must SURELY support the notion that a person involved in a major incident who is not patently innocent of any wrongdoing, should be charged and tried in a court of law."

Perhaps like the pathologist, the DPP, and the CMC they consider him patently innocent of any wrongdoing.

"How dare they give the impression that police officers can act with impunity..."

That was a Courier Mail headline. The police protested illegitimate political interference in the justice system.

Mj, I am pleased that you read everything that I write and consider it all in detail. You have a good debating style.

But we’ve been over all of this stuff, especially on the ‘Hurley 6747’ thread (http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=5586) and there is simply no point in continuing with it.