How to fix a turbulent World

Geoffrey Robertson- where does one begin!! In this monologue/ on stage for over two hours he began with his early years in the Old Bailey coping with the British pomp and ceremony and stuffy arrogance especially towards anything Oz-like!!

He went on to recount his incredible years of defending prisoners on death row. After one such hard and arduous case he was inspired by a comment made by a death row prisoner, on how to abolish the death penalty. Many years later he was successful in doing so in the British system and consequently here in Oz!

Later, he touched on many adventures in the life of a Lawyer, including his advice to Princess Diana after she had her fling outside of her compromised marriage. “There were three of us”!! Geoffrey reminded Diana that Anne Boleyn was charged with treason for the similar offence of adultery with so many years in prison. She replied: I am living that already.

Australia Day 26th of January

His talk was full of funny moments and sad. He dwelt on the Australian constitution and the tragedy of the No vote at the referendum. He supports getting rid of the 26th of January as Australia Day!! From a humanitarian Lawyer you wouldn’t expect anything less, but his reasons were amazing and enlightening and hilarious:

He says – from Historical facts – nothing actually transpired on that day. Captain Arthur Phillip did a symbolic gesture on the 7th of February. The very first longboat from the ship pulled in on the 20th of January. And then the most hilarious behaviour was seen on that sandy beach from the exhausted relieved crew.

Apparently they stripped off their shirts dropped their dacks and wiggled their limp penises to the skies above- oh so happy to be on this dry land!! Goodness knows what the Aboriginals thought of this lot!!

If this is what we should be proud of ?? Golly me!! On second thoughts I think the Aboriginal first Nations people probably would have loved it; much better than flag raising and weaponry!! An alternative day to the 26th of January for Geoffrey Robertson was the 8th of December . His reasons were well thought out.

He explained that most Western countries find their Independence from Colonialists after a struggle or a war. The USA example of the 4th of July is the most obvious one but there are many others. He then played an audio of John Curtin’s fine speech after the Japanese bombing of Darwin. John Curtin unites Australia in proclaiming our own harrowing war; not Britains, not America’s but truly our own way to defend ourselves.

He goes on to suggest that if we feel we need to follow in the rest of the World’s example we should have December the 8th 1942 as our Australia day. But the peace loving humanitarian part of me feels its still not a real celebration of this beautiful and Isolated Island.

I feel we need a real celebration of peace and prosperity. We need to fight a war of Independence with our brains and not our brawn. We need an Australian Republic!! Forget all the arguments of how the British system is the best we have got. We already are a step in the right direction by having compulsory voting; a step better than the Mother country! It might take time, but its worth doing properly and maybe at the same time we could ask the First Nations people what they would like to do with us.

Then for interval he signed off with some lovely Puccini Opera!!

After Interval Geoffrey Robertson KC treated us with this image!!

As an Australian with Ukrainian heritage I cheered!!

Wouldn’t the trial be such a boost for Ukrainian morale.

Robertson argues for the case that Putin could be tried in absensure.

At present you could charge him with many crimes; one being of the illegal deportation of children away from their families in Eastern Ukraine.

I have yet to read this book. Recommendations on the back cover are from Amal Clooney, Gordon Brown and Bill Browder!! Got to be good!

BRAVO!!!!

His presentation made me somewhat hopeful for the worlds future, and as he said “The global family will do well if they only stop killing each other”.