An Unexpected Court Case "You two ladies are off to a court-case", says a police official to Louise and I. Handcuffs are placed around our wrists and the next thing, we are sitting in a divvy van on our way to the court house. It seems a bit unreal. Firstly, we definitely weren't expecting to be taken to any court case, but rather thought we'd be taken straight to jail to do time for our $300 fines. Secondly, the hand-cuff business seemed a bit strange, seeing we did hand ourselves in. Inside the court house, Louise and I get to talk to the duty solicitor, Paul, a real nice fella. Then we are placed in a cell next to the court room. I think to myself, "Gee, people prepare months, for what they are going to say in these things (court cases), and here we are, having been given a couple of hours notice". While waiting, Louise and I continue to role play the scene of the court room, alternating between being the defendant (rehearsing what we each will say) and the magistrate. My temperature rises as I begin to grow quite nervous. I let Louise in on my fear, "I'm feeling scared. I don't know how to speak usin' all of that legal jargon bullshit". "That's fine", she says, "Just speak from the heart - that's all you have to do". A policeman unlocks the cell door and tells us that I'm up first. Louise asks can she come in and hear me. "No" is the reply and the police official escorts me across the corridor and into the court room. As I stand in the box, I can hear Louise singing. She is singing a beautiful Jewish mourning song. Before I know it, a smile has spread across my face and I am feeling really strong. I am inspired to speak from my heart now, thinking, "That is so wonderful. Louise can't be in here with me, so she's singing for me". Louise later tells me (after I had thanked her for her moral support) that she had been singing to try and get her own voice strong for speaking in court, being quite unaware, and more than a little embarrassed, that the entire court room had heard her. As I look around the court, I see the clerk-of-courts, the magistrate, another court official, the prosecutor and the duty solicitor, Paul. Paul gives me a big smile, which makes me feel really good. His previous words echo in my ears, "The magistrate's a nice man". "A pity I couldn't have met this nice man under different circumstances", I think to myself. "Perhaps then I'd get to hear what he really thinks about the Nurrungar issue, without the 200 years of binding precedent which fasten him to the bench above me". I think about how I am going to say what it is I want to say within the walls of this court room - the feeling being that it just doesn't seem to fit here. I know that I could tell them quite easily outside under some trees, or by a running stream. After dwelling upon this thought for a while, I succeed in bringing myself back to the unreal feel of the court room. I am finally asked if I have any thing to say. I take a deep breath and begin to speak, noticing to my surprise that my voice isn't shaking. "You see, I may be guilty under this law you have in front of you - trespassing on Commonwealth land - but you know, the way I see it, there are two laws operating. White law - which has been built upon the lie of terra nullius - and Aboriginal law. I choose to recognise Aboriginal law." "Law of the land, man, you know what I'm talkin' about? A law that's connected with the roots of this country and with the people who have been here since time began - Aboriginal people. It's what you call livin' with the land, with the spirit of the land. This law, man, goes over and above any 200 year white law. And it sure ain't compatible with a military communications base that is set up and tied in with the destruction of both the Earth and her people." The clerk-of-courts, and the other court officials are looking at me with wide eyes and blank faces. I'm looking directly at the magistrate, but he seems to be evading my eyes, looking elsewhere. I'm feeling like a bit of an alien at this point, but decide to continue. "So", I say, "the way I see it, I had permission from the rightful owners - the Googada people - when crossing the fence, and entering their land." The magistrate now opens his mouth and says, "So, are you going to try and tell me that Aboriginal people are the owners of all of Australia?" "Mate", I think, "You couldn't have asked me a better question." I proceed proudly with my answer. "Yes. Aboriginal people are the sovereign owners of all of Australia. And one way we acknowledge that in Melbourne is by paying rent the Aboriginal people for the land we live on. So you see, it is quite in line with my principles and beliefs when I maintain that I had permission from the rightful owners - the Googada people - upon entering their land." The magistrate nods his head in an impatient manner, then moves on to find me guilty and sentences me. He decides to revoke my original $300 fine (which was for breach of bail - failing to appear at my court case) and replaces it with a $50 fine plus court costs, which then make the overall fine $150. He expresses his disappointment in me, as I continue to refuse to take up his offer of community service work. At this point I say to myself, "Just stick to your guns Vanes, you'll be out of this place any minute now". The thought being that I would then be taken to the Adelaide Women's Prison to do three days jail. However, to the bewilderment and dismay of both Louise and I, we were later to be released, being told that we had to wait twenty-eight days to allow for an appeal, before doing the three days jail. "But we won't be appealing," was our urgent reply. The police official just shook his head, led us to where we signed our release papers and collected our belongings, said good-bye and directed us to walk up a flight of stairs which led to the street pavement above. One of the funniest memories I have is of Louise and I sitting on that pavement with our backs against the wall. We slowly began to thread up our shoe laces, feeling exhausted and in total disbelief of the day's events and outcome. "Thwarted again," Louise declared after a short period of silence, and within a moment, we were both looking at one another, then laughing and laughing and laughing. Vanessa Fox