O’SHANE, Patricia June

1941-

barrister, magistrate and Chancellor of University of New England

born on 19 June 1941 at Mossman in Queensland

My name is Pat O’Shane and I represent ‘Australians All’ because in 1986 I became the first Aboriginal woman to be made a magistrate. As a magistrate, in 1993, I dismissed charges against four women who defaced a billboard showing a scantily dressed woman being sawn in half. My judgement was that the real crime was to make and display such an extremely offensive advertisement in the first place.

lamploop.gif (6239 bytes) IDEA FOR SCENE: Show the final moments of the ‘billboard’ case. In the courtroom, the prosecuting lawyer sums up how bad it is to vandalise other people’s property, the defending lawyer sums up how bad it is to show such pictures in public, in such a prominent position as a billboard and the magistrate, Patricia O’Shane delivers her judgement.

SAMPLE SCRIPT:

O’Shane: After carefully considering the evidence before me, I am of the opinion that the real crime in this case was the setting up of such an extremely offensive advertisement. The charges against all four defendants are dismissed. (Bangs gavel on bench, rises and exits.)

1901-2001 Centenary of Federation