NCJ Number
145638
Date Published
1993
Length
511 pages
Annotation
This report discusses the investigation by the Queensland (Australia) Criminal Justice Commission into the jury selection for the 1991 trial of Sir Johannes Bjelke-Petersen, charged with official corruption and perjury.
Abstract
The introductory section of the report describes the establishment of the inquiry and its terms, identifies the main people involved in the case, and outlines a chronology and elements of the fact-finding process. Two subsequent chapters discuss the trial of Sir Johannes and the aftermath of the prosecutor's decision to drop the charges when the jury announced it was unable to agree on a verdict. The bulk of the document deals with some of the murkier legal issues associated with the trial, including the alleged polling of Panel Z and the relationship of the jury foreman to the defendant through the former's involvement in the Young Nationals Party and the Friends of Joh (a national support group organized around the defense of Sir Johannes). 3 appendixes