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First judge in Australia to be jailed on perjury charge

by Lazylizards | March 20, 2009 at 04:21 am

254 views | 29 Recommendations | 5 comments

Former Australian Federal Court judge Marcus Einfeld appeared in court today after arriving in a taxi. He must have known this was a one-way journey as a free man.

Einfeld was later sentenced to three years' jail for "deliberate premeditated perjury".

Einfeld claimed he was not driving his car on January 8, 2006, when it was detected speeding in Sydney. He told a court in August that year that an “old friend” from the US, Teresa Brennan, was the driver. It later emerged she had died in 2003.

Einfeld has already been stripped of the title of QC and as a convicted felon he is also expected to lose his Order of Australia honour.

The NSW Bar Association has applied to the Supreme Court to have him struck off the roll of legal practitioners.

However, moves to strip him of a $200,000-a-year pension have hit constitutional problems that are likely to leave him on the public payroll for life.

At Einfeld's sentencing hearing last month, defence counsel Ian Barker QC said his client was on the brink of complete ruin over what he called a trivial offence.

A trivial offence? That no one, including an ex-judge, QC and "living treasure" (Einfeld was in 1997 voted one of 100 national living treasures), was above the law, was perhaps a more fitting remark.

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sara star

at 05:39 on March 20th, 2009

Just for a speeding ticket? Am I reading this right?

Lazylizards

at 05:57 on March 20th, 2009

Sara Star, it depends on how you read it. He was trying to get away from paying a fine or escape demerit points. Perjury is a much more serious offence, I think.

sara star

at 06:01 on March 20th, 2009

It is, but why would he risk it? Arrogance?

Amy Judd

at 07:33 on March 20th, 2009

To use the alibi of someone who had died is so silly - why would he think people wouldn't find out?

I think three years is about fair for this.

Swan

at 11:51 on March 20th, 2009

Thank you for the story Lazy Lizards.

I'll throw my money in with Amy, he got what he deserved and further, he should lose the huge pension that he has been entitled to while on the bench.

I don't see why Australians should see part of their money going to a perjurer (via the Government) who has probably sentenced other perjurers during his time on the bench. That would add hypocracy to the list of adjectives with which he could be described.

Besides, if he is that unreliable, who says that as a judge, he won't accept bribes for lower sentencing?

Something to think about.
~ Swan