Mr Pratt's fall from grace

It certainly suggests that public opinion is on the side of the late Mr Pratt. Was the Prime Minister tacitly disapproving Mr Samuel's actions by his visit?

Meanwhile, at Larvatus Prodeo, Kim draws parallels between the treatment of Mr Pratt and Marcus Einfeld QC, another respected figure who recently fell from grace. Personally I think there are important distinctions between the two cases. Mr Pratt was never convicted of a crime, although he did concede that he and his company were liable for a civil penalty (an entirely different thing). By contrast, Mr Einfeld pleaded guilty to a crime, and unlike Mr Pratt, he had actually sat in judgment on a person who committed perjury and spoken of the heinous nature of that crime. Nonetheless, I think both cases are tragic. Both are men who have done good things in their lives, but have tarnished their reputations at the end of their lives by their deeds. The difficulty in both cases is weighing up how far a contravention of law should be able to overshadow a person’s many good deeds.

Although Mr Pratt has died, and the criminal charges have been withdrawn, this saga is certainly not closed. The class action against Amcor and Visy continues. No doubt the actions of Mr Pratt, Mr Samuel and the ACCC will continue to be scrutinised.

Watch this space ...