Presumption of innocence protected

The value of Victoria\u27s charter of rights was on display in the Court of Appeal, writes Edward Santow in The Age THIS WEEK, the Victorian Court of Appeal gave one of its most important decisions, in a landmark case that considered the right to a fair trial and the Victorian Charter of Rights. The case shows that the charter operates more subtly than some have suggested, and the result will certainly frustrate both charter advocates and opponents. But, in my view, the court made the right decision and it will be good for our democracy. The case was about Victoria\u27s unusual drugs law, and it started with a drugs bust at the home Vera Momcilovic shared with her partner. Imagine it were you. A fateful knock on your door; the police enter and find drugs. Not enough to make you Australia\u27s answer to Pablo Escobar, but enough to suggest trafficking and not personal use... Read the full article Edward Santow is a senior lecturer in law at UNSW, and director of the Charter of Human Rights Project at the Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law