Being accused of a criminal offence can be a life-changing
experience, one that can lead to reputational and career loss,
great stress and anxiety, and in cases where the defence team is
privately funded, enormous financial loss.
On top of all that, criminal prosecutions in the higher courts,
such as the District or Supreme Court, can take years to reach a
jury trial – a situation which has only been made worse
by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Unlike various parts of the United States, Australia does not
have a scheme which compensates those who are wrongly convicted,
and commencing civil proceedings for financial redress on account
of a malicious prosecution can be costly and time-consuming.
