Attorney-General for the State of Queensland v Levi [2009] QSC 172
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[2009] QSC 172
SUPREME COURT OF QUEENSLAND
CIVIL JURISDICTION
DAUBNEY J
No 1027 of 2009
ATTORNEY-GENERAL FOR THE STATE OF
QUEENSLAND Applicant
and
DONALD LEVI Respondent
BRISBANE
..DATE 18/06/2009
ORDER
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HIS HONOUR: This is an application by the Attorney-General
for the State of Queensland for orders pursuant to section 13
of the Dangerous Prisoners (Sexual Offenders) Act of 2003
("the Act") against the respondent Donald Levi.
The Attorney-General seeks an order that Mr Levi be detained
in custody indefinitely for care, control or treatment or
alternatively for an order that he be released on conditions
under a supervision order pursuant to section 13 of the Act.
The respondent is currently serving a sentence of imprisonment
of 11 years for the offence of maintaining an unlawful
relationship of a sexual nature with a child under 16 years
with circumstances of aggravation. His full-time release date
is 6 July 2009.
The respondent has a criminal history going back to 1985 when
he was convicted on two counts of rape and three counts of
indecent assault on a female. He has other offences recorded
in his criminal history, including for breaches of Domestic
Violence Orders, assault, wilful damage to property and other
public order offences.
The offences in respect of which he is presently imprisoned
are those for which he was convicted in 1999, namely, the
offence of maintaining an unlawful relationship of a sexual
nature with a child under 16 years with circumstances of
aggravation. He was originally sentenced to 13 years'
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imprisonment by the learned trial Judge. However, on appeal,
that sentence was reduced to 11 years.
In order to give some background to the matter, it is
appropriate and sufficient simply to quote from the judgment
of Davies JA, with whom de Jersey CJ and Jones J agreed, in
the application for leave to appeal against sentence. His
Honour said, "At the time of his sentence, the applicant was
34 years of age, having been born on 9 August 1964. He has a
number of previous convictions, the most significant of which,
for present purposes are the following. On 3 December 1985 he
was convicted on two counts of rape and three of indecent
assault for which he was sentenced to an effective term of 10
years imprisonment. He escaped from custody in 1991 and was
sentenced for that offence in that year to six months
imprisonment cumulative upon his previous sentence. Then on
24 October 1997 he was convicted of serious assault on a
police officer, going armed, wilful damage, assault and
resisting police for which he was sentenced to an effective
term of 12 months' imprisonment suspended after three months
for an operational period of 18 months. This short term of
imprisonment interrupted the offending conduct, the subject of
the present appeal, which continued unabated during part of
the period of the suspended sentence. It is unnecessary to
discuss in detail the applicant's revolting conduct towards
his young and vulnerable stepson over the period to which I
have referred. It is sufficient to say that they included not
only nine acts of anal intercourse, to which I have already
referred, but two incidents where the applicant rubbed his
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penis against the child's anus without penetration. The
applicant's mother must have suspected, before the end, that
something was amiss because she had on a number of occasions,
asked the child whether any sexual misconduct had occurred and
the child had denied it. This was because the applicant had
told him that he would hurt the child or his mother if the
child ever mentioned what had occurred. Eventually, after the
last of the nine sodomies, which occurred on 7 July 1998, the
child did complain to his mother who then called in the
police."
As I've already mentioned, the application for leave to appeal
against sentence was allowed, as was the appeal, and the Court
of Appeal imposed a sentence of 11 years' imprisonment.
The respondent has now very nearly served that term of
imprisonment and the fact that he is due shortly to be
released was the catalyst for this application by the
Attorney-General.
For the purposes of the application, psychiatric evidence has
been obtained from three eminent specialists, Dr Basil James,
Dr Michael Beech and Dr Josie Sunden. I shall refer to their
expert evidence shortly. Apart from each of those doctors
providing several reports to the Court, each of them gave oral
evidence before me today.
Also in the evidence before me are reports and outcome reports
from the several sexual offending programs which the
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respondent has engaged in while in custody, in particular, the
Indigenous High Intensity Sexual Offenders Program which was
completed by him in March of 2009, the results and outcome
report of which became available in May 2009 and that being
material which was further reviewed by each of the
psychiatrists who gave evidence before me and which was of
assistance to them in formulating their ultimate opinions with
respect to this matter.
When one considers section 13 of the Act, the threshold issue
is whether the Court is satisfied that the respondent is a
serious danger to the community in the absence of a Division 3
order. The term "serious danger to the community" is defined
by reference to section 13(2). Section 13(3) provides that the
Court may decide that it is satisfied that the prisoner is a
serious danger to the community in the absence of a Division 3
order only if it is satisfied by acceptable, cogent evidence
and to a high degree of probability that the evidence is of a
sufficient weight to justify the decision.
I am, on the evidence before me, satisfied to the necessarily
high degree of probability on acceptable, cogent evidence that
this respondent is a serious danger to the community in the
absence of a Division 3 order and, in that regard, it is to be
noted that it was expressly conceded on behalf of the
respondent that it is proper for such a finding to be made.
The question then, pursuant to section 13(5), is whether the
respondent should be detained in custody for an indefinite
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term pursuant to a continuing detention order or whether he
should be released from custody, subject to a supervision
order.
In making the decision as to which form of order to make,
section 13(6) provides that "the paramount consideration is to
be the need to ensure adequate protection of the community."
In approaching the task of weighing the evidence before me
relating to the appropriate form of order to be made, it is
also necessary to bear in mind the underlying principle to be
applied when considering this evidence and making that
decision, as articulated by the Court of Appeal in Attorney
General for the State of Queensland v Francis [2006] QCA324 at
paragraph 39:
"The Act does not contemplate that arrangements to prevent
such a risk must be “watertight”; otherwise orders under
section 13(5)(b) would never be made. The question is whether
the protection of the community is adequately ensured. If
supervision of the prisoner is apt to ensure adequate
protection, having regard to the risk to the community posed
by the prisoner, then an order for supervised release should,
in principle, be preferred to a continuing detention order on
the basis that the intrusions of the Act upon the liberty of
the subject are exceptional, and the liberty of the subject
should be constrained to no greater extent than as warranted
by the statute which authorised such constraint."
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Whilst there is much common ground between the specialist
psychiatrists who have given me the benefit of their
professional opinion, there is a divergence between them, in
particular in respect of one matter. I shall deal briefly
with the evidence of the doctors.
In terms of the presentation of the respondent to the doctors,
it is useful to refer to the report by Dr Beech dated 8 May
2009 where the doctor said at page 22:
"When put together the available information suggests I
believe a deceptive man who likes to spin a yarn and who has
given inconsistent and variable accounts of his past, his
alcohol and drug use, and his offending and its antecedents.
It is difficult to know where the truth lies with Mr Levi and
in my opinion his self reports should be viewed with caution.
Nonetheless there is some evidence that in prison he has
matured and he is no longer as impulsive reckless or
irresponsible as he had been. However he continues to project
responsibility for his offending and he has a limited capacity
to view his own responsibility for his actions. In addition he
has a limited insight into his personal style and its
problems, his alcohol abuse and its consequences, his sexual
offending and its effects, and his lack of planning and its
pitfalls."
Having diagnosed the respondent as a paedophiliac, Dr Beech's
opinion in that report in early May was that the respondent
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was in a group of people at a high risk of re-offending
sexually on release, but placed an express caveat on that
opinion namely "mitigation from his recent IHISOP", although
Dr Beech did then at that stage say "Even then I can see no
palpable effect from that program, although by simply
completing it, he would have reduced his apparent risk to some
extent."
Having had the opportunity to review the IHISOP documentation
and completion reports, Dr Beech provided a further report
dated 2 June 2009. He noted that the respondent was assessed
by the IHISOP as having a Static-99 score of 8, which placed
him in the high risk category. Dr Beech reviewed the outcomes
of the respondent's participation in the IHISOP and said:
"He was able to demonstrate general empathy and in particular
was able to identify short and medium term consequences of his
offending against his victim.
He was able to formulate future plans and identify protective
factors and risk factors for offending. Risk factors that he
noted included avoiding home and family and mixing drugs and
alcohol. There was some concerns around his plans for the use
of drugs and alcohol on release and it was thought to be an
area for further counselling.
Overall it was thought that Mr Levi adequately addressed the
intervention targets during a program and presented as a
motivated man with the ability to re-integrate safely and
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responsibly back into the community. It was recommended that
he complete the Sexual Offending Maintenance Program once
released into the community in order to consolidate treatment
gains. It was also recommended that supervision incorporate
culture appropriate counselling to assist him to develop
relationship skills and to support him in remaining abstinent
from drugs and alcohol. In addition, it was thought that he
would need assistance to source work and family support in the
Townsville region.
Factors which were associated with imminent risk included
isolating himself from his supports, difficulties in his
relationship with his wife, a decrease in co-operation with
supervision and evidence of alcohol and drug use.
Overall, it is a positive report for Mr Levi about his
progress during an intensive offender program. In my opinion,
a number of factors identified are similar to those which are
incorporated in my original report. Simply completing the
course is likely to have had some effect on reducing his risk
of further offending."
Dr Beech then went on to note some dissonance between the
IHISOP report and the information which Mr Levi had provided
Dr Beech. When being interviewed by the doctor, those
disconnects particularly related to the respondent's insight
into the contribution of alcohol and drugs into his offending
behaviour, and also some lack of appropriate insight into his
plans on release.
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Dr Beech continued:
"In my opinion while the report is positive, I have
considerable doubt about whether Mr Levi, on his own devices,
would be able to follow through with his strategies and plans.
I would agree whole heartedly that it is important for him to
continue counselling and to be engaged in a maintenance
program in the community.
I believe that Mr Levi would require supervision in order to
add structure to and oversight of his compliance with such a
plan. Failing this, I would have great concerns that he would
simply go bush and return to old patterns of behaviour and
living which he himself and others have identified as
significant risk factors.
In my opinion it is essential that Mr Levi is in fact
abstinent from drugs and alcohol. I would see these as
disinhibiting factors which would make it more likely that Mr
Levi would resort to old ways of thinking and behaving. I
believe that also likely to fuel impulsivity and aggression.
I think it is important Mr Levi resides in appropriate
accommodation which is close to the resources and the supports
that he will need in order to make a positive transition into
the community. It would be to his benefit, I believe, to be
engaged in meaningful employment.
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With these structures and supervision and supports in place, I
believe that the risk of re-offending for Mr Levi would be
reduced from high to moderate. Without them I would see him
at high risk."
In evidence before me today Dr Beech confirmed his opinion
that a desirable period of duration for any supervision order
which might be made would be 10 years. He did so saying that
having regard to the concerns with compliance which he and,
indeed, all of the psychiatrists have expressed, a period of
10 years is sufficient to enable the respondent to demonstrate
the ability and capacity to comply.
In evidence before me Dr Beech also re-affirmed his opinion
that the Sexual Offenders' Maintenance Program, that being the
next therapeutic intervention in which the respondent should
engage, should be conducted and taken part in by the
respondent while he is released in the community under a
supervision order.
Put bluntly, Dr Beech's evidence was that this respondent is
"as good as he is going to get in prison" and highlighted to
me that the value of the Sexual Offenders' Maintenance Program
is to continue the work and outcomes already achieved in
prison through and into the respondent's place in the
community.
For the purposes of considering this application a draft
supervision order containing some 40 conditions was tendered
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as Exhibit 1 and was the subject of a review by the doctors
who gave evidence before me.
Specifically in relation to two conditions within that draft
supervision order relating to child pornography, they being
proposed conditions 35 and 39, Dr Beech thought that in the
circumstances and given the history of this particular
respondent's offending, and despite the fact that his
diagnosis of the respondent as a paedophile, these conditions
were not necessary.
Dr Sunden's initial report, following her assessment of the
respondent on 20 March 2009, is dated 3 April 2009. I have
already noted that there is a high degree of consistency of
opinion between the psychiatrists in relation to such matters
as the respondent's made at presentation, concerns that they
have in relation to his degree of insight, compliance,
veracity of reporting and so on. Without any disrespect at all
to the doctors I do not propose reviewing the contents of
their reports and assessments at unnecessary length.
It is sufficient for present purposes if I note that, in her
initial report, Dr Sunden diagnosed the respondent as showing
evidence of anti-social personality disorder, alcohol abuse
(in remission while in prison) and marijuana (in remission
while in prison).
She noted on the positive side that the respondent had given a
positive report of his experience in the Indigenous Sexual
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Offenders' Treatment Program but highlighted the negative
aspect of the respondent at that time appearing still to be
underestimating the impact of his actions of the complaint of
relative, the fact that the respondent continued to provide
inaccurate accounts of some of the important aspects of his
offences and continued to lack insight into the contribution
of alcohol and other substances into his pattern of offending
at that time. Dr Sunden was of the view that the respondent's
risk of future recidivism lay in the range of moderate to
high.
After reviewing the IHISOP documents Dr Sunden noted that
there appeared to be a theme in the report of the respondent
"continuing to project and displace blame for his offending
behaviour on what I would term confused cultural factors".
She said: "It is noted by the facilitators that avoidance of
isolation and work to ensure that Mr Levi integrates within
the community and builds pro-social relationships are going to
be important for him to avoid relapsing into offending
behaviour patterns. This will clearly need some work given Mr
Levi's stated plan to live somewhere remote and his stated
preference to both myself and to Dr Beech that he would prefer
to resume fairly remotely located employment again, such as
pig hunting.
I would therefore say in conclusion that in reviewing the
IHISOP report that while overall the report is generally
positive; the nature of Mr Levi's participation in this
program is not sufficient to alter my opinion that he needs to
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be supervised within the community. My opinion is that at
this stage Mr Levi's risk of re-offending without a
supervision order is unsatisfactorily high. I have rated his
global risk of future recidivism as moderate to high. With the
imposition of a community supervision order and with community
participation in a Sexual Offenders' Maintenance Program, I
consider that his risk is reduced to moderate."
Dr Sunden also noted in her further report that participation
in a Sexual Offenders' Treatment Program is, it is generally
accepted, associated with reduction and overall risk of
recidivism that the respondent had received a partially
positive report from the group facilitators in that regard ad
that is compliance with their recommendations to participate
in the further maintenance program to participate in further
alcohol and drug counselling programs and to comply in further
cultural awareness programs should contribute to reducing his
risk of sexually re-offending.
All that being said, Dr Sunden was not blind to the numerous
character faults which this respondent exhibits, particularly
his capacity to dissemble. She said "I note from the
assessment undertaken by Dr Beech that there was similar
dissonance and inconsistency in the reports that he obtained
from Mr Levi. I am not entirely confident that these
conflicting versions are necessarily cultural based; I am more
inclined to believe that they reflect Mr Levi's attempts to
rationalise and divert blame and are consistent with his
patterns of other anti-social behaviours. I am mindful that
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Mr Levi has an impressive spectrum of non-sexual offences in
his criminal record, which causes me to be very cautious with
regard to my prognostications as to his likely future
compliance with a supervision order."
In evidence before me Dr Sunden also confirmed the opinion
that an appropriate period of duration for any supervision
order made would be 10 years. She also expressed concurrence
with the view expressed by Dr Beech to which I have already
referred that it would be better for the respondent to
complete the further Sexual Offender Maintenance Program while
in the community and under the conditions of a supervision
order.
She also reaffirmed her view that the challenge in the
immediate future would be for the respondent to comply with a
supervision order generally and, particularly, the restrictive
conditions relating to alcohol and drugs. She said that all
of that had to be seen in light of the fact that there is a
substantially high risk of non-compliance in this respondent
because of his lack of insight and anti-authoritarian
attitudes.
In relation to the draft supervision order, Exhibit 1, Dr
Sunden was also of a view that the proposed conditions
concerning child pornography were not necessary as this
respondent has no history arising from such conduct and it
does not present a particular risk. She identified, rather,
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the risk as arising through opportunistic contact with
children.
Turning now to the evidence of Professor James, I have the
benefit of several reports from him. His initial report is
dated the 28th July 2008. At that time Professor James
observed: "Although Mr Levi has participated in several
courses, described above, during the course of his
imprisonment; and although he describes, following the death
of his father earlier in the present year, a sense of
liberation from the curses which he said were placed upon him
as a child, Mr Levi had not, at the time of my examination,
participated in a Sex Offenders' Treatment Program.
I have noted that Mr Levi said that he was to start a course
on 30/06/2008; and I consider this participation of the very
greatest importance. Not only would it serve to modify in an
important way some of the attitudes previously described as
being relevant to Mr Levi's offending, and particularly his
potential dangerousness with respect to women, but it would
also offer a very important opportunity for intense and
prolonged evaluation of a kind that it is impossible as a
result of a single “snapshot” examination.
Unless there is convincing evidence during the course of the
Sex Offenders' Treatment Program that Mr Levi's attitude to
women, and to some degree also to himself, have been
substantially modified, then in my opinion it cannot be said
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that Mr Levi's capacity for dangerous re-offending is anything
but high."
Professor James's further report, consequent upon his review
of the further material derived from the respondent's
participation in the Sexual Offender Programs is an addendum
report dated 10 June 2009. Professor James reaffirmed the
matters and opinions expressed in his previous report and
noted under the heading "Comments" a number of significant
inconsistencies in the various accounts that the respondent
had provided to various examiners.
He noted that some of the discrepancies are not insignificant
and together they raise the doubt expressed in the report of
Dr Beech as to "where the truth lies with Mr Levi". Professor
James gives a number of examples of the sorts of
inconsistencies to which he referred.
The professor then reviewed the exit report of the IHISOP. He
reaffirmed the previous diagnosis he had given of the
respondent suffering from an alcohol and drug abuse disorder
and expressed the further opinion in light of the reports
subsequently made available for his perusal, particularly
those of Doctors Beech and Sunden, that he considered that the
diagnosis of "Paedophilia non-exclusive confined to males"
should be added.
Having regard to the further information to hand, Professor
James revisited the assessments and scores attributed to the
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various diagnostic tools available and said that in terms of
the probability of violent sexual recidivism he placed the
respondent in a group of persons, 75 per cent of whom will re-
offend within 7 years and 89 per cent of whom will re-offend
within 10 years.
He concluded: "In summary, I am not of the opinion that there
has become available any 'convincing evidence during the
course of the Sex Offenders' Treatment Program that Mr Levi's
attitude to women, and to some extent also to himself, have
been substantially modified'. There appear to remain
significant ambiguities which impede a clear understanding of
the dynamics underlying Mr Levi's sexual offending; and I do
not consider that Mr Levi himself has a clear understanding of
what led to his offending; and there lacks a basis structure
upon which to base a relapse prevention strategy.I therefore
consider that Mr Levi's capacity for dangerous re-offending
remains high; and in my opinion, it would be preferable for Mr
Levi to undergo the maintenance programme (as recommended in
the IHISOP “Exit” Report) to a satisfactory standard prior to
his release from prison.
With respect to the contents of the Draft Supervision Order, I
have no further recommendation to make; but my opinion with
respect to the desirability of a further Treatment Programme
prior to his release from prison remains."
In evidence before me today, Professor James also expressed
the view that a term of 10 years would be the appropriate
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duration for any supervision order which might be made. He
also confirmed in evidence before me his concern about the
respondent's capacity to comply with the conditions of any
supervision order that might be made. He pointed to the fact
that there is what he described as a poor potential for
compliance in this respondent.
The misinformation and disinformation which the respondent
supplies to the psychiatrists and other health professionals
makes it difficult, as Professor James points out, to
formulate clearly the nature of the psychiatric problems or
cultural problems, if they be so, from which he suffers. In
Professor James's view it is difficult to map a safe pathway
for this particular respondent out into the community,
particularly when one has regard to the history of serious
offending.
He also referred to the self-authored plans which the
respondent had prepared in the course of the IHISOP and noted
that these plans lack operational form. Professor James said,
"I consider him less prepared for release from prison than
most people I see under the Act."
Professor James was concerned- and this is really the point of
divergence between the expert psychiatrists whose evidence I
have seen- Professor James is particularly concerned to have
the respondent complete the Sexual Offender Maintenance
Programme before he is released from prison and into the
community, even pursuant to a supervision order. He said that
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this respondent is a prisoner who would "worry me very much,"
and also said that this respondent needed to demonstrate a
higher understanding of the values and drivers for his
behaviour.
Quite properly and fairly under cross-examination Professor
James conceded that there has been demonstrated by this
respondent a degree of cooperation by virtue of his having
already completed the Sexual Offender Treatment Programmes,
albeit within a prison setting, and he also quite properly
acknowledged that transitions from prison life to freedom are
always difficult to manage.
Again, however, Professor James highlighted the concerns that
he had, particularly with this respondent's truthfulness.
Professor James thought that conditions 35 and 39 relating to
the pornographic images would probably be helpful, but I did
not sense or apprehend from Professor James's evidence a
strong opinion that these conditions were in any way necessary
for the purposes of a supervision order that might be made,
having regard to the particular nature of this respondent's
offending.
It is and always will be a very serious thing to deprive an
individual of their entitlement to liberty upon completion of
a term of imprisonment which has been imposed on them. The
Dangerous Prisoners Sexual Offenders Act, once the threshold
of it being established that a particular respondent
represents a serious danger to the community is satisfied,
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requires that the balancing act in determining the appropriate
form of order to be made has paramount regard to the need to
ensure adequate protection of the community.
I have already referred to the judgment of the Court of Appeal
in Francis's case. No supervision order can be watertight.
As I've noted, there are a number of consistent themes which
run through the evidence of the psychiatrists. In particular
they are all squarely of the view that this respondent
requires to complete a further Sexual Offenders' Maintenance
Programme as part of his ongoing rehabilitation and to equip
him to cope with life in the community. The only real point
of divergence is whether that should be undertaken while in
prison or while released under a supervision order.
Notwithstanding the serious concerns expressed by
Professor James, I am satisfied on the preponderance of the
evidence before me, and also having regard to the very strict
and comprehensive supervision conditions contained in
Exhibit 1, that adequate protection of the community can be
achieved and ensured by releasing the respondent under a
supervision order of the nature proposed in Exhibit 1, noting
also in that regard that the close terms of the supervision
order will undoubtedly provide a high degree of supervision,
particularly while the respondent is undertaking and
completing the further Sexual Offenders' Maintenance Programme
and otherwise being rehabilitated for further ongoing exposure
to the wider community.
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I am satisfied from the consistent evidence of the
psychiatrists that an appropriate term of duration in the
circumstances for such an order is one of 10 years, and would
make a supervision order for such a term.
On the balance of the expert evidence before me, I'm not
persuaded that any purpose would be served by the inclusion of
conditions 35 and 39 set out in Exhibit 1.
I have already mentioned on several occasions that this
supervision order contains extensive limitations on the
respondent's rights and liberties after release from prison.
It is equally important to ensure that the limitations
contained within such a supervision order do not extend to
matters which are not necessary or justified in the
circumstances of particular cases. As I've said, on the
preponderance of evidence before me, the particular
limitations that have been suggested with respect to child
pornography are simply not warranted.
...
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-- 22 of 22 --
Official source: https://www.sclqld.org.au/caselaw/QSC/2009/172