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https://theconversation.com/david-mcbride-goes-to-prison-and-australian-democracy-takes-a-hit-230007>
"Governments and their agencies wield awesome power. At times, it is quite
literally the power over life and death. That is why in any functioning
democracy, we have robust checks and balances designed to make sure power is
exercised responsibly and with restraint.
So, what message does a sentence of more than five years in prison for someone
who exposed credible allegations of war crimes by Australian soldiers send?
On Tuesday, ACT Supreme Court Justice David Mossop despatched the former
military lawyer David McBride to prison for five years and eight months, for
passing classified military documents to journalists. Those documents formed
the basis of the ABC’s explosive “Afghan Files” investigation, revealing
allegations that Australian soldiers were involved in the unlawful executions
of unarmed civilians.
It is hard to think of any whistleblowing more important."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
