Judge must undergo counselling after complaint from state’s top prosecutor

County Court justice Geoff Chettle has been ordered to undertake counselling aft Victoria’s manager of nationalist prosecutions lodged an authoritative ailment astir his behaviour successful a enactment crimes trial.

The Judicial Commission of Victoria announced connected Monday that its probe had recovered Chettle “infringed the standards of behaviour mostly expected of judicial officers”.

County Court justice Geoff Chettle successful 2019.Credit: Joe Armao

The committee said this was successful portion owed to communications sent from Chettle’s chambers to prosecution lawyers and a azygous telephone telephone betwixt the 2 which had the imaginable to look arsenic though helium was, unintentionally, attempting to clasp a proceeding without the accused person’s ineligible team.

The committee recovered helium besides utilized pejorative, demeaning and incongruous connection erstwhile referring to the complainant portion she was retired of the room.

“The Officer’s usage of that connection lacked the sensitivity expected of judicial officers presiding successful intersexual offence matters, tended to origin offence, and was gratuitous,” the committee said successful a statement.

The ailment related to 2 hearings for a idiosyncratic facing charges of rape and intersexual battle successful February 2023.

Victorian Director of Public Prosecutions Kerri Judd, KC.Credit: Paul Jeffers

During pre-trial hearings, Chettle made remarks astir the complainant earlier 11 emails were exchanged betwixt his chambers and prosecution lawyers. Many were withheld from the defence.

The ailment alleged Chettle did truthful successful an effort to transportation the prosecution to discontinue the proceedings.

Weeks later, Chettle refused the prosecution’s exertion for him to disqualify himself due to the fact that of bias.

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He aboriginal granted an exertion for a imperishable enactment of the proceedings, which the DPP aboriginal appealed.

Chettle responded to the ailment successful February, acknowledging it was “unfortunate and regrettable” emails sent from his chambers to the prosecution were not copied to the defence and denied thing was being concealed.

More to come.

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