Did High Court loss trigger Monis siege?

On 18 May they replied. They argued in part that under section 25(3) of theLegal Aid Commission Act 1979 they are not required to ‘divulge to any person or court any information or document ... relating to the administration of legal aid.’

Similarly, on 27 February 2015 the state-federal inquiry on Monis requested by the Prime Minister two days after the siege, was released. It came to a cul-de-sac concerning legal aid. It concluded ‘Appeals to the High Court are only made once advice is provided from Senior Counsel.’

What was that advice?  What were the justifications for the case vis-à-vis the many other pressing criminal matters Legal Aid NSW were funding?  Why was a blank taxpayers’ cheque written so that the free speech case of a public supporter of Islamic terrorism could be argued in the High Court? Where was the public interest in that? How much did it cost?

It is instructive that the Leader of the Opposition in NSW, John Robertson, recovering some integrity,resigned on 23 December 2014, eight days after Monis’ siege, after he conceded he had written a letter on Monis’ behalf concerning a family law matter.

But the reasons for the apparently myopic, foolhardy funding of the dangerous Monis in 2011 remain behind a wall of legalese and silence.

Some explanation as to why the man who caused this catastrophe was fêted by the legal system to go to the High Court should be sought by the Coroner’s inquiry.