Filibuster on Bell questions at senate estimates … Judicial developments at The Map … Tidball – there’s a song in his heart … Worthwhile cause of the week 

THERE was a delightful exchange at a recent session of senate estimates when Labor senators were trying to press officials from the AG’s department on what they knew about the Bell matter and whether there had been government instructions to run dead on any legal challenge to WA’s Bell Act. 

Committee chairman Ian Macdonald (Liberal, North Qld) was doing his upmost to protect AG Soapy George Brandis’ right flank by stymieing probing questions to the mandarins. Macdonald is a former solicitor. 

We’re duty bound to share this with you: 

Brian Ross Martin, not to be confused with another previous NT CJ, Brian Frank Martin, has now saddled up as a judge in five jurisdictions. 

He started as a judge of the South Australian Supremes, presiding at the Snowtown murder cases, before moving onto the territory as chief justice in 2004, where he was the judge at the Bradley John Murdoch trial. He retired as CJ in 2010. 

He was an acting judge in WA where he sat on the Rayney judge-alone murder case. 

He was also an acting judge of the ACT Supreme Court, appointed to conduct the inquiry into the conviction of David Eastman, found guilty in 1995 of the murder of assistant AFP commissioner Colin Winchester.

In an earlier life he had been the Commonwealth DPP. Last year he was appointed to the Royal Commission into Juvenile Detention in the Northern Territory, but after some critical reaction he promptly pulled out, saying, “rightly or wrongly, in this role I would not have the full confidence of sections of the Indigenous community which has a vital interest in this inquiry”.

This uber judge hits Hobart for a two year stretch, notching up a record number of judicial appointments. The government has not appointed any permanent full-time judge to the Tasmanian Supremes to bring its numbers back to seven, instead preferring to make money-saving interim appointments. 

Less than two years ago the Child-Born-in-the-Shadows-of-the-Mountain pledged he would not return to the Tasmanian court because he had “judged enough”. He would only climb back on the bench if needed in Samoa.  

The part-time offer must have been irresistible. 

Not enough song and dance has been made about the appointment of NSW Law Society CEO Michael Tidball as chairman of The Song Company.  

It’s good to see him spread his creative wings beyond the claustrophobic confines of Phillip Street. 

A long-time classical music nut, Tidball declared that The Song Company has “an important role to play in enriching the community”. 

Tidders has never said such a thing about the Law Society, which he has run with an iron grip for 15 years. In 2013 also took on the role of chief executive of LAWASIA. 

With The Song Company he has, at last, seized the opportunity to do something important. Here’s the company in action … 

Disadvantaged and homeless artists have an online home where they can sell their work. Open Canvas is just the place for lawyers looking for artistic bargains.  

The team at Justinian HQ has snapped up one etching from artist Rodney Mallee. The art is great, and so too is the cause.  

We hope you agree. Here’s Rodney’s work City Sunlight …