James Edward Goodwin v Jeremy Rhind

COURT OR TRIBUNAL

Magistrates Court of the Australian Capital Territory

DATE FILED (OR FIRST HEARING DATE)

09/06/2022

LITIGATION TYPE

Access to Justice

SUBJECT MATTER

Protest activities

REVIEW TYPE

N/A

SUMMARY

CRIMINAL LAW – PARTICULAR OFFENCES – “unreasonable obstruction” – right to silence after arrest

Circumstances leading to the alleged offending are largely undisputed. Mr Rhind is engaged with a public interest group concerned with government inaction on climate change. At about 8 a.m. on 19 October 2021, police attended what is known as the “Authorised Assembly Area” (AAA) to the front of Parliament House. Mr Rhind was one of about 20 protesters bearing placards and banners. A number of them were wearing outfits representative of trees and koalas. The protesters were singing and dancing. Mr Rhind, and others of the group, moved on to the road adjacent the AAA, Federation Mall, which runs between the AAA and the forecourt at Parliament House. He glued his left hand to the road surface. He did not leave until the glue was dissolved by police officers at which point, he was escorted from the area. Detective Sergeant Tadic (‘DS Tadic’) was the police officer in charge at the scene. He requested Mr Rhind’s name a number of times both at the scene and later at the police station, to which Mr Rhind had been conveyed. He failed to provide that name until some hours later

CASE DOCUMENTS

James Edward Goodwin v Jeremy Rhind [2022] ACTMC 18