I’ve just updated the About Stilgherrian page. Not much new information, just better organised.
Arrest of “teen party host” highlights stupidity of law
Yesterday a Melbourne teenager was charged with creating a public nuisance and producing child pornography. Reuters tells us he “became a controversial media star after a wild party at his parents’ house became a near riot, forcing police to call in a helicopter and the dog squad”. Hands up if you think you know his name.
Now, keep your hands up if you’re completely bloody sure you know his name.
OK, hands down.
Yet again we see how Australia’s laws have failed to adapt to the Internet age.
Everybody and their dog, globally, has been reporting the rise to fame of glamorous Melbourne socialite Corey Worthington Delaney. I’ve written two essays already [1, 2], and this third one probably won’t be the last. My friends at Crikey published The Corey Timeline yesterday (republished by Peter Black too, if the Crikey original is behind their paywall).
Now, under Victorian law, as in many other democracies, the media cannot identify minors charged with criminal offences. Nor can they identify who’s brought before the children’s court. Fair enough. Once upon a time we all agreed that youthful indiscretions shouldn’t mar our reputation for life.
So now we have the ludicrous situation where National Nine News and The Age and everyone else is talking about “a 16-year-old boy” as if we haven’t noticed a flood of media reports about a specific, named 16yo who — in an amazing coincidence — held a wild party on the weekend where the police were called, including a helicopter and the dog squad.
Happens all the time. Could well be someone else.
Continue reading “Arrest of “teen party host” highlights stupidity of law”
Where is Melbourne, AFP?
Why is this news agency illustrating a story about an event in Melbourne with a photo of a helicopter in Sydney? Daft bastards.
The Storm Approaches
Sydney’s in for a major storm tonight. A short time ago I took this photo from the train while crossing Sydney Harbour Bridge.
John Howard’s retirement
OK, perhaps I have a pro-Crikey bias. But I reckon their First Dog on the Moon cartoons are awesome. Yesterdays, showing John Howard in retirement, has been re-published at Lavartus Prodeo. Enjoy!
New Matilda returns, looking spiffy
The very fine public policy website New Matilda returns today with a great new design. It’s all free to read. It’s wonderful. And I’m not just saying that because I wrote an article for them in 2004.