Biggest Aust terror trial to begin
Feb 12, 2008 8:26 PM
Australia's biggest terrorist trial begins in the Victorian Supreme Court in Melbourne on Wednesday, with its conclusion barely in sight.
The trial of Abdul Nacer Benbrika and 11 other Melbourne men is tipped to be one of Victoria's longest.
Already it has occupied more than a year of court time and worst-case scenarios have it running into the new year.
Trial judge Justice Bernard Bongiorno has already advised jurors they will be required to devote a large slice of their lives to a case which is bound to be as complex as it is lengthy.
When he empanelled the 15 jurors - calling for three more than normal in case of attrition - Justice Bongiorno dealt with one of the most significant difficulties they and the community will be confronted with during the trial.
The judge warned all of the 1,200 potential jurors that came before him last week that they must put prejudice aside.
If they thought that might not be possible, they must excuse themselves, he said.
"There are people in our community who hold, and sometimes express, attitudes which might be regarded as hostile to, or discriminatory towards, Muslims simply because they are Muslims," Justice Bongiorno said.
"There is no place for such a person on a jury in this case. No place whatsoever."
The case against Benbrika and his co-accused is that they were members of a terrorist organisation and that they planned to commit a terrorist act.
Benbrika is additionally charged with directing a terrorist organisation and each of his co-accused is alleged to have provided resources, namely themselves, to a terrorist organisation.
For their committal hearing, the 12 men sat behind security screens in court, but for their trial they will have more direct contact with the battalion of lawyers representing them.
More than 25 barristers and solicitors have notified the court of their intention to appear for the accused with another half dozen to present the case for the prosecution.
So wide is the interest and so significant the case that two courtrooms have been set aside for it, one to contain the defendants, the judge and the lawyers and the other to house the media.
The prosecution will present a truckload of documentation and other evidence, including almost 500 recordings of intercepted conversations.
Although the case is being heard in the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, it will physically take place in the Victorian County Court building which has more space.
Justice Bongiorno also took the unusual course today of briefing the media on the trial.
He warned against careless and sloppy reporting, he reminded journalists of the concepts of subjudice and contempt and advised against allowing any other terror-related case anywhere in the world to become mixed into any reports on this one.
"This is a world in which terrorism is a fact of life," Justice Bongiorno said.
He reminded all concerned that justice should be afforded the same status.
Source: AAP
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