G'day there BANJO...

Instances of individuals failing to comply with normal judiciary courtesy is quite unusual here. And I must admit I've never seen an incident when I've attended court.

Somehow, and I could be wrong; because this lady failed to stand claiming she was of the Islamic faith and she'd only stand for her God. You would accept that these days, anything that's noteworthy and directly concerns 'Islam' is always topical to the extent, there seems to be an automatic default button of community indignation expressing Society's rage about '...people coming to our country, and not assimilating nor abiding by our customs and laws...', sort of thing ?
Her behaviour was certainly annoying, and disrespectful, but at that precise time didn't (technically) amount to the offence of contempt.

However she was either badly advised (if she was advised at all) or not all that bright, not to show due respect to the ol' beak. As it was he, who was to arbitrate upon the legitimacy of her application for costs, if think it was ? In any event I really think her judgement was seriously flawed ?

FOI I've seen the odd occasion where a Court (the old Quarter Sessions at Parramatta) was cleared because the 'peanut' went off his head during the sentencing stage, and he was about to rearrange the 'Chairman's' (the Judge) physiology completely. Whereas he commenced knocking over, coppers, brief's, witnesses, and anybody else in the way during his violent advance towards the Bench ! I never laughed so much in Court ! Another instance happened in Grafton Magistrates Court, (traffic matter) not nearly so colourful though. It's nice to see the judiciary scrambling away for safety, for a change!

o sung wu,

In the old Court House/Police Station at Hill End (NSW) there is a bullet lodged in a door of one of the cupboards (all thick cedar) in the Court Room.
The accused got stroppy and tried to shoot the Judge but a quick Constable grabbed his arm and diverted the shot.
The local constable shewed it to me back in the 1960s; about .32 at a guess as only part of the bullet can be seen.

A Ned Kelly site has :"four Webly revolvers, , eight revolvers , another revolver, two cap-and-ball revolvers, one of which was the Navy Colt .."
but he didn't manage to keep on one in his boot to show the judge. The order to stand before the judge could have had a different meaning.

IS MISE...

I'm not sure where you live, but the old police station at the Rocks in Sydney, built sometime in the mid 1850's has a Lion set above the ornate stone front door. In the Lion's mouth is this old wooden baton, been there for years, and nobody knows, how, when or why, it was placed thereupon ? Tons of speculation and hearsay (you know what liars coppers are?), but the truth eludes them all.

Hi there STEELEREDUX...

I honestly can't say what it's all about, though I sent BANJO a response (herein) which might go in some way of explaining all the hysteria associated with this event? As you say the AG Mr HAZZARD didn't think there was much to it, in the scheme of things and neither did many of those on the Bench apparently?

I've always been taught, the Court demands obedience and respect, but can it enforce it, I'm not entirely sure. Something I can attest to, is any crook who wishes to cause the Bench any heartburn, should first pause, then remember it's the Bench who determines their fate.

For that Islamic woman to test the resolve of the Court by failing to observe generations of respect for our system of jurisprudence and legal resolution, is just plain impertinent. I find it utterly incongruous with their willingness to accept our generous succour and benevolence, but not to show due deference and courtesy for our institutions. I'm not for a moment implying this woman is receiving any C'Wealth benefits, other than she lives 'safely' in this beautiful free land Australia.

Is Mise...I read with heart in mouth that recollection, hoping the aforementioned copper had steadied the aim of the defendant in the dock at Hill End.

Metal detectors at courthouses have taken away the fun, with the stipends worrying a lot less I'd imagine.

NNN, young Ned was felled due to blood loss evidently, then capture and eventual hanging. Even though the custom made ironware prevented hits in vital areas, it was no match for the shotgun pellets & .58 &.62 calibre lead projectiles at the short ranges involved.

See: http://www.smh.com.au/national/131-years-on-ned-kelly-mystery-is-laid-to-rest-20110901-1joaq.html

From: https://harrybrookesallenmuseum.mdhs.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/1884637/Sight_and_Mind.pdf

[Bodies used to support the study of anatomy through dissection tended at the time to be those in a subordinate position within society – criminals, the mentally ill, Aboriginals,and the unclaimed poor – and as such were considered government property, with institutions operating under “a shared understanding of the body as owned not by the subject, but by one or other official body."]

Lest you become unemployed, leading to poorness, leading to being mentally ill - or worse still a non conformist, beware politicians and politically motivated groups. For at the stroke of a pen, the spectre of ideas such as studies of phrenology, as in the past could raise their ugly heads.

Privatising former government entities, these being sold off, "assetisation" of prisons, public housing and the like herald the beginning of the journey to that dark place in our not too distant future. Being aware of the hallmarks of those seeking to undermine and erode democratic principles needs people to be educated and the vested interests hate nothing more than an educated populace.

[Anonymity in all of its forms is the enemy of democracy; transparency, identification and accountability advance the public good. When individuals are permitted to influence political discussions and elections anonymously, whether through PACS or on blogs, democracy suffers as the public discourse inevitably becomes more shrill, more caustic, more negative, more mean-spirited. Civility in public discourse is more likely to be assured when every participant knows the real identity of every other person who is engaged in a political discussion.]

See: http://www.politicsofselfishness.com/2014/02/is-anonymity-the-enemy-of-democracy.html

It's interesting how monarchs being executed or Ned being hung usually obeyed the Law and put their head on the block or in the noose. It would be interesting to just lie on the floor , go limp and talk non-stop until the voice stopped. The person becomes real not just a dead crim and so puts the justice in question. "Such is life" is a good line but the Eureka republic could do with a bit more.