Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

One of the most important principles that underpin our criminal justice system is that, no matter the allegation brought against one of us, we are all considered innocent until proven guilty. It is our front line in defence against authoritarian government and against the lynch mob. This week, some elements in the media and some social commentators have thrown that principle away without a thought in their haste to tear down those who defend our nation in the most difficult of circumstances. With no idea of those circumstances, no experience of the fog of war and total disregard for the legal process that protects them, our armchair warriors and self-appointed judges have condemned a man with a proven track record of selfless bravery. We know without a doubt that Ben Roberts-Smith has saved lives and displayed the most conspicuous gallantry in defence of his country. Unless and until he or any of his mates are proven guilty, those who condemn them without facts or any comprehension of war should think hard about what they have done and consider the consequences not only of trying to undermine the service men and women who put their lives on the line for our country but of abandoning our most precious legal principle.