With the recent acquittal of Jarryd Hayne we have learned one thing – #MeToo has become the most powerful force changing judicial norms in this country.
Just like in the case of George Pell, credibility issues with the complainant resulted in an acquittal and an innocent man released from jail.
But the most egregious issue here is not that these cases were found to have inconsistencies and credibility problems, nor the legal system reversing its standard of “innocent until proven guilty”.
It’s that no one really cares about matters where serious errors in the judicial process have been found.
But we should care.
Hayne was acquitted, yet there’s been no response.
No response to an innocent man jailed for a rape he didn’t commit, the millions spent on legal representation, or the potential damage done to societal trust in our judicial process.
Crickets.
Will Mamamia devote a week’s worth of content apologising for platforming a faithful chorus of progressive liberals who wanted Hayne lynched, quartered and buried (alive) after the allegations came to light?
I highly doubt it.
Let’s be clear about some judicial societal norms that have allowed respect for our courts and legal system to endure for hundreds of years.
The criminal burden of proof is “beyond a reasonable doubt”.
Further, it’s better for a guilty man to walk free than an innocent man go to jail.
These norms have protected all of us, and given us confidence that if someone wishes to make an allegation and the matter ends in a court hearing, then the accused must be well and truly guilty before they spend a night in jail.
And those who dislike this concepts are welcome to see what the criminal justice system is like in banana republics like Ethiopia, Colombia and increasingly in recent times, the US.
We were once the best country ever when it came to getting a fair go and the rule of law. But then something changed.
Social movements are now seen as a more legitimate form of prosecution than the criminal courts.
That’s right, the progressive folk yelling on Instagram about “victims” usurped your rights and freedoms, and this has permeated into our justice system.
A critical component of Hayne’s defence case was around the complainant’s reliability and credibility, and thankfully in this case the appeal judges missed the societal memo #BelieveAllWomen.
But in the current social climate, with the presumption of innocence playing second fiddle to the #MeToo feminists, this is my advice to all males:
Never be alone in the same room as a female, unless she is your wife – ever!
