PRESS RELEASE
Contact:  G. Lawrence DeMarco, LLM
Email: ldemarco@menandboys.net
Phone: +1-215-901-1930

Justice at Risk: Australian Conference Spotlights the Fight to Restore the Presumption of Innocence

September 9, 2024 – In a pivotal gathering at the heart of Sydney, the Presumption of Innocence Conference brought together leading voices in law, advocacy, and civil rights to address the growing threats to one of the foundational principles of justice. (1)  The presumption of innocence is a cornerstone of justice (2) protecting men from an unequal application of criminal laws at every stage in the criminal justice system. (3)

Hosted by Australians for Science and Freedom (4) and sponsored by Mothers of Sons, (5) the conference highlighted the urgent need for legislative reforms to protect the presumption of innocence in Australia.  It was presented on the eve of International Falsely Accused Day, recognized on September 9th of every year. (6)

Vanessa Scammell exposed the grave consequences of undermining the presumption of innocence, sharing how her partner, falsely accused, faced a system bent on assuming his guilt. She warned that this erosion of justice threatens everyone, turning a fundamental right into a fragile privilege. (7)

Bettina Arndt condemned the reckless actions of police and prosecutors who, in their zeal to convict, disregard due process. She highlighted cases where men were labeled as guilty without evidence, illustrating the dangers of a system driven by bias rather than justice. (8)

International Council for Men and Boys calls on lawmakers to:

  • Amend existing legislation to ensure that all criminal offenses include an element of intent to commit the crime. (9)
  • Eliminate “victim-centered” and “trauma-informed” investigations, which presume guilt and automatically “believe the victim” irrespective of evidence. Such practices compromise the integrity of the justice system.
  • The use of terms such as “victim” and “perpetrator” should be limited before any determination of guilt, to prevent bias from influencing the outcome of investigations and trials.
  • At bail hearings, require the court to conduct pre-trial risk assessments to reduce the number of accused from being wrongly and unnecessarily detained. (10)

We need immediate action to restore and protect the presumption of innocence. As this foundational principle faces unprecedented challenges, justice systems must reaffirm their commitment to fairness and impartiality, ensuring that the rights of the accused are preserved in every court of law.

The International Council for Men and Boys is a non-governmental organization that is working to celebrate the contributions of men to society and to end the 12 sex disparities that affect men and boys around the world.  Achieving #GenderEqualityForMen also will benefit women.  https://www.menandboys.net/

Links:

(1)   https://www.presumptionofinnocence.au

(2)   https://www.prosecutorintegrity.org/innocence/cornerstone/

(3)   https://www.menandboys.net/crime/

(4)   https://www.scienceandfreedom.org

(5)   https://mothersofsons.info

(6)   https://falselyaccusedday.org

(7)   https://www.youtube.com/live/gzmEygTvrwE?si=CXrKdiPQ4M5czWSC&t=397

(8)   https://www.presumptionofinnocence.au/team-1/bettina-arndt-am

(9)   https://www.prosecutorintegrity.org/innocence/strategies/

(10)  http://racialjusticeproject.weebly.com/aba-restoring-the-presumption-of-innocence.html