Judge Hall’s shocking record on sentencing cases of sexual violence
By Jess McCabe | 23 April 2008, 17:38
Judge Julian Hall has handed a two year sentence to a man accused of raping a 10 year-old girl. You can read this Daily Mail report for the full story.
However, pc bloggs, the anonymous blog of a female police officer, has compiled a
Purely using Google, pc bloggs has compiled a damning list of cases stretching back to 1999. Some highlights:
February 2006: A community order for a man who had sex with a 13yr old. Apparently he “should have known better”.
January 2005: A priest convicted of child porn is spared jail and the Judge’s concludes, “It is difficult to imagine a more admirable and productive life.”
March 2008: He jails a woman for a year who lied about a rape allegation. He also denounces her as “evil” and says she has let down “womankind”. Slightly different language than that used to describe the child rapists and pornographers he has discharged from his court on previous occasions, no?
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Feeds
anarcho-blonde said:
Who investigates Judges ? Do they get some form of legal assessment within the profession ? No surprise the conviction rate of rapists is so shamefully low in this country, with morons like that in charge of delivering justice !
Posted on 23 April 2008 at 6:11 PM
Anna said:
correct me if I'm wrong, but I was told in politics that it is incredibly hard to remove a judge - once they've got their position they are pretty much there for life.
Posted on 23 April 2008 at 6:29 PM
Danielle said:
I'm delighted to find my recent apathy shattered upon reading this post. I am struggling to articulate my outrage with any particular eloquence, so I'll just settle for: What an arsehole!!!
Posted on 23 April 2008 at 6:39 PM
Randi said:
I, too, want to know who investigates judges. I have only recently (and through tragedy) learned that judges are people (before this, I may have thought they were Gods)---meaning that they have their own personal "reasons" for being in their particular profession. Reasons, aka agendas, that may be in direct conflict with making a fair judgement. There needs to be more analysis of judge's case histories and decisions--ESPECIALLY in regard to sexual assault/domestic violence. I have yet to blog on this myself because it may take up the rest of my life.
Posted on 23 April 2008 at 7:02 PM
Lara The Second said:
Yes! So often I read some really stupid summing-up of a case by a judge or stuff like this and wonder - who the hell can I complain to?
Posted on 23 April 2008 at 7:50 PM
tez said:
makes you wonder has this judge(and many like him) got a hidden agenda, i ll take care of my own kind, so to speak just a thought has it has been known before.
Posted on 23 April 2008 at 9:28 PM
Yakoub said:
I am minded to speculate that Judge Julian shares something in common with members of the legal elite - an all boys residential private education. My admittedly limited experience of men so educated (two former friends so schooled) is that they consequently view women as 'other' and tend to view them essentialistically, prejudicially and functionally!
Posted on 23 April 2008 at 10:00 PM
Kim said:
I'm just studying the role of the judiciary in my Law course and about how much discretion they have. There are a lot of articles about murder, because if someone is found guilty of murder, a judge does NOT have any discretion - it must be a life sentence.
Seeing things like this makes me think judges shouldn't have any discretion at all. People who justify it say that there are guidelines which every judge has to adhere to - but clearly for charges like rape the guidelines are extremely lenient! >:(
Posted on 23 April 2008 at 10:34 PM
JENNIFER DREW said:
Once a judge has been appointed it is normally for life or until such time as they retire. Removing a judge is almost impossible as Truth About Rape discovered. Julian Hall is well -known to TAR as being one of the more infamous and misogynstic judges. So what's new about this - nothing really except TAR were and are 'keeping an eye on Hall's considerable history.' I know individuals can write to and here I am not certain if it is the Attorney General or Solicitor General stating why you think Hall's sentence for man convicted of raping a 10 year old girl is too lenient. Sometimes bureaucrats take notice other times they ignore such views. Also, I know statutory sentencing guidelines give a set minium standard in rape cases and these sentence guidelines vary according to age of victim, whether or not rapist was known to victim (as if that makes a difference - which it does not). All clever patriarchal guidelines which do nothing for rape survivors but provide excuses/justifications for male rapists.
Posted on 23 April 2008 at 11:08 PM
m Andrea said:
I really don't think any feminist activists in the area should let this one go. It's perfect simply because it is impossible to ignore the pattern once it has been pointed out. Picket the courthouse or whatever the building is called every time he's trying a new case, or when the verdict is delivered.
Please don't let this one fall into the pile with all the others. This one is too obvious, and the judge is doing far too much harm. He's giving a "permission-giving statement" in support of rape to every other professional in his large circle of influence. This guy needs to be removed, ASAP.
Posted on 24 April 2008 at 12:28 AM
Sarah Jones said:
I am absolutely outraged, and would love to do some anti-Judge-Hall campaigning.
I've written to the Judicial Comduct Commissioner (you can too, http://www.jcc.govt.nz/template.asp?folder=OVERVIEW&lev1=4&lev2=1&no=1 ) and I've made a freedom of information request for any information on his appointment and complaints history. I'll let you know what I get back!
What else can we do? I am so disgusted I can't think properly!
Sarah
Posted on 24 April 2008 at 8:42 AM
Helen said:
any man that can class a ten year old as being 'provocative' is scary and should not be judging any cases! implying that a 10 year old asked for it is not normal.
Posted on 24 April 2008 at 4:37 PM
Kim said:
@ m Andrea and Sarah Jones:
I stand completely with you - I am burning to take action against this. Patriarchy is easily taken for granted as "normal" by people who don't want to see it change, but when men like this are free so soon because of ridiculously lenient sentencing, something needs to be done.
I am so sick of living in a society like this that I want to at least attempt to fight it.
Posted on 24 April 2008 at 6:56 PM
Helen said:
I'm going to write in. I'm also going to take practical steps. I can't become a judge but i can become a magistrate, so I will.
Posted on 25 April 2008 at 9:49 AM
Kim said:
It always concerns me how I can go on a website that anyone could access, just like this one, and see a point and a value behind everyone's opinion, even ones different from mine, and I can see their logic and reason behind certain beliefs.
Then looking at the actions of certain judges or politicians, I'm left thinking "wtf?" Some of it's just ludicrous. Aren't people in positions of responsibility supposed to be well-educated and intelligent people who prevent things like this from happening?
Posted on 25 April 2008 at 6:48 PM