Gertie's Law
Gertie's Law
Drama has unfolded in these courtrooms for more than 130 years, from serial murderers and gangland wars to multimillion-dollar commercial disputes and celebrity defamation cases. Follow Greg Muller and Evan Martin as they take a step behind the bench of one of Australia’s oldest institutions and hear from judges as they explain why they make the decisions they do. Gertie's Law takes a deep dive in…Follow the podcast:
The Story Behind Gertie's Law
"What is a podcast?" Gertie's Law executive producer Sarah Dolan talks to StoryCraft host Ben Hart about how the Supreme Court of Victoria embraced new media to educate and inform in an entertaining way.
29:28
Closing Statement: Judge and Lawyer Q&A
We've received your questions and in this final episode of Gertie’s Law, they get answered. What influences lawyers to challenge a juror during empanelment? Does a murder involving family violence attract a larger sentence? When does criticism become defamation? And are there more right wing terro…
39:23
Terrorism - Part 2
Last episode we looked at completed terrorist acts, and why they attract such large sentences, however cases involving completed terrorist acts are rare, indeed the first one in Victoria was in 2019. Most terrorism cases which come before the Supreme Court occur before an act of terrorism has take…
59:42Explicit
Terrorism - Part 1
Terrorism cases are among the most high-profile offences to come to the Supreme Court. The trials are complicated and usually long, as are the resulting sentences. The cases attract a lot of public interest. On the day of a sentence, the public galleries and press seats will be full, and TV cameras…
49:46Explicit
Court Dogs, Lucy & Coop
Courtrooms can be stressful places, especially if you’re giving evidence. Two of the court’s recent employees, Lucy and Coop are helping to take the stress out of being in court.
20:52
Barry
Most Victorians have heard of Sir Redmond Barry, not least because there’s so many things named after him in Melbourne. And notoriously, he’s the judge who sentenced Ned Kelly to the gallows. But his impact on Melbourne extends far beyond the Kelly story. From defending Aboriginal resistance fight…
44:15
Defamation
Defamation. Often salacious or scandalous, especially when it involves Hollywood Stars or high profile federal politicians. It’s about defending one’s honour - and earning capacity. It’s an area of law where a person’s right to protect their reputation rubs up against someone else’s freedom of expr…
54:31
Manslaughter
It’s time to talk about manslaughter - one of the most controversial and misunderstood offences that comes before the court, due to its high range of culpability and sometimes fine line between it and murder. From a legal point of view it’s a very clear line between murder and manslaughter. The pro…
48:01Explicit
The Bar Table
Welcome to season two of Gertie's Law. In season one we heard from almost everyone at the Supreme Court - the judges, associates, reporters, tipstaves and even the prison officers. But now it’s time to meet the people who do the lion’s share of the talking in the courtroom, the people sitting at th…
58:55
Court in a Pandemic
When COVID-19 hit Victoria, schools, pubs and restaurants closed. The AFL season stopped after only one round. But the courts couldn’t shut down because crime didn’t stop. People were in custody awaiting trial. Family violence continued unabated, disputes needed settling, appeals needed to be heard…
56:22