Suburban Sydney Lawyer Puts North Shore Practice Up For Sale After Government Abolishes 'Good Bloke Defence'
WENDELL HUSSEY | Cadet | CONTACT A local pillar of Sydney's Lower North Shore is today mulling over his future.
WENDELL HUSSEY | Cadet | CONTACT
A local pillar of Sydney's Lower North Shore is today mulling over his future.
George Whiteman, the principal of Lane Cove law firm Whiteman & Whiteman says he's been absolutely rocked by an announcement from the NSW Government.
The solicitor of 28 years said the changes to the 'good bloke defence' have him preparing to pack it all in.
"Yeah, mate I'm putting the business on the market," said George.
"Obviously it will be business as usual until the new laws come into effect, but once the landscape changes it's time for me to retire."
"Or move into conveyancing or some shit I guess."
Whiteman says the changes to remove character references from the sentencing process has ruined him.
"Mate, that's fucking 85% of my job," sighed the alumni of a nice sandstone school with World Cup quality footy pitches and a cathedral.
"And now they've gone ahead and just whisked the X1 from right out of my garage."
"I can't believe it."
"Truly."
"One of the fundamental tenets of the legal system is the ability of individuals with cashola and standing within the community to bend the legal system to suit their needs."
"Taking that away from us is a travesty."
It's believed lawyers along the Brisbane River and in the inner suburbs or Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne are all on tenterhooks over whether the world first legal change will spread throughout the country.
More to come.