DPP in search of a “dynamic and realistic” direction … Rude signage upset crowns … Morgan Ryan sues over He Who Must Be Obeid … The “Little Mate”, aged 95, wants an expedited hearing  

THE NSW Office of the DPP has recently emerged from an exhausting two days of strategic planning. DPP Lloyd Babb said the workshops “has laid the foundations for us to move forward”. 

For Lloyd four things came out of the big chinwag: 

• The ODDD needs a new direction “that is dynamic and realistic”; 
• There was agreement that a fresh approach was needed in how the ODPP works; 
• There’s a need to build on the dedication and commitment of the people who work at the ODPP; 
• There’s a need for a plan. 

A fews days later Lloyd sent another email to all staff, in which he refined the “key priority areas” for the ODPP’s strategic plan into more easily recognised management babble: 

• Early intervention prosecution model; 
• Performance management; 
• People & Culture; 
• Communication & Leadership. 

In turn these priority areas have to be developed into “specific initiatives” that can be met by the increased funding Treasury is proposing to splash on the prosecutors. 

The DPP also addressed the troops via live broadcasts to get out the message about the importance of the strategic plan. 

In a follow-up email the next day the DPP explained to hardened crowns, visibly close to tears, that the sign didn’t really mean what it said. 

Various worthies attended a panel discussion during the workshop, including a Dizzo judge, a Madge, a deputy police commissioner and the senior public defender. They were there to make challenging remarks about what the prosecutors did and didn’t do well.  

The cartoonist captured the essence of the moment with the words, “Get the crown to work harder”, which was boldly stuck-up on the wall. 

Clearly, the judge had no idea what he was talking about because in his email to the rank-and-file the DPP said that he doesn’t think anyone is lazy or needs to work harder. He explained further: 

“This strategic planning is not about getting staff to work harder, far from it. We have worked very hard to get additional resources to assist our staff.” 

LIONEL Murphy’s “Little Mate”, former Sydney solicitor and punter, Morgan Ryan, has saddled up for a defamation action against Random House, the publisher of He Who Must be Obeid. 

In a preliminary round Morgan’s 16 imputations came before Judge Judy Gibson at the Dizzo. 

It was pleaded that the relevant part of Kate McClymont’s and Linton Besser’s book meant that the plaintiff:

Phew. According to Justinian’s sister organ, the Gazette of Law & Journalism, HH allowed four of the imputations to go to a jury:  

Two others were struck out and the rest can be repleaded. 

Ryan is a Runyonesque figure now aged 95. He asked the judge for an expedited trial due to his advanced years. Judge Judy was not overly impressed: 

“If the plaintiff seeks an early hearing date, his legal representatives need to formulate the claim now, rather than make further applications for amendments of the kind that came before the court today.” 

Ryan and Lionel Murphy were caught on The Age tapes in conversations illegally tapped by the coppers. Subsequently Lionel had two trials on charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice. 

The allegations related to Murphy’s attempts to influence Chief Magistrate Clarrie Briese and District Court Judge Paul Flannery to go easy on Ryan in relation to charges he faced of conspiring to obtain permanent residency for 22 Koreans by means of the the use of forged documents. 

Despite efforts of Lionel and, apparently others, Ryan was convicted by Flannery in July 1983, fined $400 and placed on a good behaviour bond for five years. 

He appealed. The Court of Criminal Appeal overturned the conviction and ordered a new trail. Further action was no billed by DPP Temby.

He also beat a wrap for misleading the Stewart Royal Commission. 

There’s heaps more about Morgan in Evan Whitton’s Can of Worms 11.  

Interestingly, the first Kate McClymont knew about Ryan’s defamation action was from bookmaker Robbie Waterhouse’s newspaper column. 

Needless to say, Clive Evatt and Roger Rasmussen are in it for the Little Mate.