Dave Pocock Arrested

[AndyS]

My understanding is that Australians don’t need a visa for stays in the UK less than 6 months regardless of their record, so I can't see it mattering in terms of the RWC. Other locations (the States perhaps?) might be a bit more hard-line, although probably not for a tourist visa and something as relatively minor as this.

It will be interesting to see what they charge him with though. It all seems to be variations on trespass, which I think all have maximum sentences of 6 months. Not that I think any of them will get anything like that, probably just fines. Normally I'd expect them to look for spent convictions, but that would require them to convince the judge that they are unlikely to do it again and the stuff said since might make that a bit of a hard sell. But an interesting quirk might be that, as I understand it, the Commonwealth Constitution precludes anyone convicted of an offence carrying maximum of one year of imprisonment or more from holding a seat in Federal Parliament. Not the imposed penalty, the maximum. I am not sure whether that is specifically an individual offence or whether it applies collectively, but as I say it could be interesting. I expect it will all be minor misdemeanours (more civil naughtiness than any real sacrifice), but how the ARU reacted may not have been the only career decision in play. I'm sure they could get nasty if they wanted.

[hertryk]

He gives some of his income to his charity 80/20 I believe! Well he used to! Don't hear much about that now!

[andrewg]

The coal miners are working on a legally granted mining tenement and with works approval. They are just trying to run their business, make jobs and export income for Australia - and hopefully make a profit so that they can do it all again somewhere else.

So when/if Pocock next runs onto the ground to play for the Wallabies, I'm allowed to rush up and handcuff myself to his wrist so that he can't play and totally disrupt the Test.

That would be my right to express myself as I'd rather see Hooper run on at No 7 (sarc)?

An illegal act is an illegal act.

Pocock benefits greatly from his high profile....he should pull his head in...and protest without breaking the law and imposing his will over someone else's rights.

[brokendown gunfighter]

I think the approval process was the bone of contention here with Pocock--it appears there may have been" something rotten in the state of Denmark"(NSW)

[jono]

The coal miners are working on a legally granted mining tenement and with works approval. They are just trying to run their business, make jobs and export income for Australia - and hopefully make a profit so that they can do it all again somewhere else.

So when/if Pocock next runs onto the ground to play for the Wallabies, I'm allowed to rush up and handcuff myself to his wrist so that he can't play and totally disrupt the Test.

That would be my right to express myself as I'd rather see Hooper run on at No 7 (sarc)?

An illegal act is an illegal act.

Pocock benefits greatly from his high profile....he should pull his head in...and protest without breaking the law and imposing his will over someone else's rights.

Spot on!

[andrewg]

I think the approval process was the bone of contention here with Pocock--it appears there may have been" something rotten in the state of Denmark"(NSW)

Oh you mean like Wallaby squad and team selection..........

[jargan83]

I think the approval process was the bone of contention here with Pocock--it appears there may have been" something rotten in the state of Denmark"(NSW)

In that case I'm sure Pocock can dip into his pocket and fund a legal challenge.

[brokendown gunfighter]

yep--all comes out of Sydney

[westies man]

At the end of the day all he did was protest against something he didn't agree with. Last time I looked I thought we lived in a democracy.
Good on him for standing up for what he believes in.
I personally can't stand tree hugging smelly long term welfare bludging hippies but that's only my opinion just as he has his.

[fulvio sammut]

Even if he is convicted or pleads guilty all he'll get is a bond and a spent conviction order.

Not all magistrates in Queensland are as oafish, destructive and ignorant as Campbell Newman and his gang of LNP thugs currently ruling the state for their personal profit and for the benefit of their rich mates.

[shasta]

some hippy vegan chick on my facebook,

Many, many years ago myself and a mate were trying to make some progress with a couple of girls in a pub. He cruelled it when he asked one of them, who'd just said she was a vegan "Oh yeah? Well how come you don't have pointy ears then?"

[brokendown gunfighter]

Even if he is convicted or pleads guilty all he'll get is a bond and a spent conviction order.

Not all magistrates in Queensland are as oafish, destructive and ignorant as Campbell Newman and his gang of LNP thugs currently ruling the state for their personal profit and for the benefit of their rich mates.

quite true,however this alleged offence took place in NSW

[hertryk]

I could chain myself to a BHP train but somehow I think
1. They would probably just run me over
2. Would not make any difference to the fact BHP are bastards and they waste so much more everyday than what we thought was a fair go!

[Herbasimplex]

Most likely he'll get a bond of good behavior and if he does exactly that a conviction won't be recorded or he'll get a section 10 where the offence is proven but a conviction is not recorded. I guess that is what the ARU will be waiting for so they can hit him with a feather and, measured against other instances of harassment and assault that other players have engaged in this would be at the lesser end of the scale.

Still, a parliament whose members that are democratically elected to enact laws for the governance of the state has decided that the behavior that Pocock engaged in was of a criminal nature.

Pocock well understood this and acted in defiance of same. In fact he was banking on his profile and his name to gather attention to his 'cause'.

Protesting is a right of the citizenry of the country, but this does still not entitle you to perform illegal acts.

[Rex Messup]

quite true,however this alleged offence took place in NSW

Fulvio's not the sharpest of cats

Fulvio would have us all working as public servants on 15% superannuation and 35 hour weeks. Such a nice dream till the country runs out of other people's money and we end up with no infrastructure, no jobs, no manufacturing, no agriculture and we go around rolling pensioners for their gold teeth to survive.......pissing, bathing and dumping in our water supply and dieing from disease because there is no medical system anymore since there is nobody in business to rape taxes from.