Most news readers would be aware of newly appointed Supreme Court Judge - Anne Bampton - and her recent drink driving charge, and her alleged hitting of a cyclist whilst driving home under the influence of alcohol.
To be honest, and it pains me to say it, but I think she should stand down from the bench. I know Anne Bampton has been touted as a sincere and loyal judge over the years, but the hard facts remain as they are.
After all, District Court Judge, Mark Griffin was hounded because of allegations he had used the services of prostitutes. He felt it necessary to resign his relatively short position, and I think Anne Bampton should take a page from his book.
Di Gilchrist, the widow of hit run victim, Ian Humphreys, has weighed in on the turmoil and called for Anne Bampton to resign. Many of you would remember Eugene McGee, a lawyer, hit and killed Ian Humphries around 10 years ago, and suffered very little punishment except to receive a $3000 fine and loss of drivers licence for a period. In many peoples eyes, this disgusting farce ruined what was called the SA Justice System and showed you just how much these circles look after themselves. Will this happen again with Anne Bampton?
What is more disturbing with the Anne Bampton case is that a number in the legal profession announce quite airily that the cyclist hit by Anne Bampton, was only hurt slightly. Well so what ? If it was me (or you), we'd have the book thrown at us. "Another disgusting case of drink driving and an innocent member of the public being hurt"! I don't see that being said of Ms Bampton. All I hear is how the cyclist was hardly hurt at all. That shouldn't matter - in fact, we should be thankful that is the case.
ASnother point of significance, is the Anne Bampton if a Supreme Court Judge, and during her wayward journey through the legal system, should have seen many of these cases. She should have known better than to attempt to drive. The police keep telling us that at .06 and greater, our judgement is already quite impaired. So Ms Bampton at 0.121 must have been blotto. There is no way for her to have not known she was drunk.
If Ms Bampton is allowed to get away with this and only suffer a relatively minor punishment, it would once again make a farce of the SA Legal System. As Di Gilchrist says, "It appears one law for the legal fraternity, and another for the average person". If Mark Griffin was hounded because he used the services of dubious but socially accepted sex services, then Ms Bampton definitely has to go. An officer of the court has to be held to a higher responsibility than just the ordinary person. It's sad, but true. It's no different than a person who relies on driving for a living - eg, a delivery or taxi driver - and they get picked up for drink driving. You have no sympathy for them because they know what it would mean to not have a license. And lets face it, on the salary that Ms Bampton would be on, she would certainly have no problems affording to catch a taxi, which makes a fine of $1500 and/or catching a taxi to and from work everyday, no real punishment. A bit of embarrassment is really all she'll suffer.
Sorry Ms Bampton, but for the sake of the legal profession, it's time to step down and resign. Most South Australians want it, and to not do it, is to once again bring the legal system into disrepute. The public has had enough of this 'boys club' type attitude.
Get Real
