In an astounding email to her 2,500 staff, Annette Kimmitt, CEO of Australia’s largest law firm, MinterEllison, apologised for the ‘pain’ caused by the firm’s acceptance of Christian Porter as client. One of her senior lawyers, Peter Barlett, well-known defamation expert, accepted the brief.
Christian Porter is presently the target of the media mob for allegedly raping his 16-year-old girlfriend 33 years ago when he was seventeen. Take note: 33 years ago, when Porter was seventeen-years-old.
Kimmitt wrote in her email, “The nature of this matter is clearly causing hurt to some of you, and it has certainly triggered hurt for me.” Poor Annette, to have to endure a bit of hurt. Boo-hoo.
In an oblique reprimand of Bartlett, Kimmitt explained that he had accepted Porter without going through the firm’s process of approval.
As I say, this action by the CEO of Australia’s largest law firm is utterly astounding. Like the media mob, to which she has joined herself, she is declaring Christian Porter guilty before the legal processes have begun.
What’s she doing in the law, leaving aside the question of what she’s doing as a lawyer, and what she’s doing heading up a law firm? Has she not heard of the principle, ‘innocent until found guilty’?
What has happened to the law in Australia? Was not the Pell Affair enough to show Australia’s legal system is on the slide to Salem Witch Hunt and the Dreyfus Affair territory? Apparently not.
Annette Kimitt has joined Louise Milligan’s Sixth Grade Spiteful Girls’ Club. Louise and her pals are the ultimate bone-pointing legal authority. Once they point the bone, that’s it. The guilty may as well lie down and die. There’s nothing they can do or say.