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Oh how glorious

The niece of Sir James Gobbo, a former governor of the state of Victoria and a supreme court judge, she was a star student at university, was top of her legal ethics class and wanted to research the relationship between police and informers for her master’s degree.

OK, cool.

A prominent barrister who secretly informed on her clients to police, meaning that many of Australia’s most notorious criminals may have to be freed, has told an inquiry that she had lied about her past to become a lawyer.

Nicola Gobbo, 46, provided more than 1,000 intelligence reports on her clients and their associates that helped police to bust some of the country’s most extensive criminal networks. Her information is thought to have helped to convict more than 350 people.

The disclosure that she was a secret police informer stunned the legal establishment….

Ahahahahahahahha

23 thoughts on “Oh how glorious”

  1. Oh dear. Now what: hundreds of civil cases by the mobsters against the State of Victoria, and hundreds of civil cases by their victims against the mobsters? Plus, presumably, lots of killing of each other by the released crims. This might almost have been designed to enrich the shyster profession but it seems that it wasn’t.

    The fact that she came top in Legal Ethics is a particularly nice touch, reminding us all that “ethics” is what you get taught when you are a stranger to morality.

  2. Am inclined to think it ought also to stun the policing establishment. I cannot see how they might have believed such convictions would stand up once it became clear who the informant was.

    This woman must really, really hate her colleagues, and the Australian criminal justice system. Or perhaps she is just a mad attention-seeker who enjoyed the thrill.

    But srsly? ‘king ‘ell!

  3. what’s the deal for breach of client confidentiality lose your job, liable for damages, but not illegal- no jail?

  4. ‘stunned the legal establishment’

    The police are PART of the legal establishment.

    Hence, the legal establishment wasn’t really stunned. But acting as if they were is wise.

    Gambling at Rick’s.

  5. I hardly think the discussion on legal sanctions against the informer for breach of confidentiality etc will have much relevance.
    Far more relevant is the actions of the hundreds of freed criminals who she put inside.
    Start running, and run fast.
    But the Legal Ethics thing had me laughing.

  6. Dennis, Less Of A Meat Eating Theologian Than Previously Thought

    Actually, it’s the police that need to be punished in all this. They had to know that if the relationship was discovered that it would call into question a large number of convictions. The idea that any top cop would think using an attorney as an informer was a good idea is incredible.

  7. Hang on, it’s a fine line surely?

    Giving the police information about your current client breaks client legal privilege. But if in the process of defending your client, you learn that Mr Big is receiving a big drug shipment on Thursday night, then presumably you’re free to tell the police? And if the police then catch Mr Big and friends red-handed, there’s nothing unsafe about those convictions.

    I am not a lawyer, obviously.

  8. Diogenes is correct–it is to be hoped that Aus’s crims–scum tho’ they be –take severe vengeance on this bent female brief.

  9. @AndrewM
    I think Mr Lud will tell you this. Your brief does not want to be told anything other than that which is relevant to the defence of your case. And pretty anyone who’s been on the receiving end of a criminal case – particularly a Mr Big – knows this. Your brief is not a confession box & cannot offer absolution. That doesn’t mean that your brief couldn’t be privy to information unknown to the police & as a result, put 2 & 2 together & come up with a big number. But it’s not his job to put the 2 & 2 together.

  10. I thought that everyone in the legal profession knew that “Ethics” was the county next to “Thuthics”…

  11. “But it’s not his job to put the 2 & 2 together.”

    That, Mr in Spain. Plus, no need to speak to the coppers. As a fine upstanding member of society, it’s distasteful to sit on distasteful information, but that is what one does. Which is one reason one avoids such situations.

    This bint is mad and bad, slice her where you like. She has some real problems, and they’ll get worse. But, all joshing aside, this is going to have enormous and bad real world consequences – probably for decades to come.

  12. ‘Australia’s most notorious criminals may have to be freed’

    Maybe not. Government’s choice. If she were giving client info to cops, she wasn’t representing the client, giving the perps basis to petition the court to have their conviction overturned.

    Fine. The state may decide to re-try them, and hold them pending the trial. In which case nothing changes for the perp. Unless the prosecuter decides he’s too busy to retry them, and tells the judge to go ahead and let them go. Deep intel against the perp isn’t related to trial evidence submitted, so they should be convicted again. Hence new attorneys may tell them, “Fuggetaboutit. This changes nothing.”

  13. USA Trump News

    Conway shreds Nancy Pelosi, calls her a child for ripping Trump’s speech
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkqVQabn_gk

    – Pelosi’s ‘childish temper tantrum’ – spot on

    Trump acquitted by Senate on both articles of impeachment
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_2NgTj0OSU

    Gutfeld on the acquittal
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kYvswUDYhM

    .
    Meanwhile, Iowa Dem caucus results – where, when?
    “5:59 PM ET 5 Feb
    The Associated Press says it has reviewed the updated results and still considers the race too early to call”

    Result ripped up by Nancy Pelosi: “I didn’t like the words, and none of them came to me to shake hands”

  14. “none of them came to me to shake hands”

    Whah! Impeach him, then get pissed when he doesn’t shake your hand. What a maroon.

  15. @dearieme

    Thanks. Summary:

    1995: Ms Gobbo is arrested over drug offences and is registered with police an an informer

    2005-2007: Gobbo informs to police practically every day generating about 5,500 information reports to police.

    2008: Gobbo covertly tapes a conversation with the former drug squad detective

    2009: Assistant Commissioner Simon Overland decides to utilise Gobbo as a witness against Dale and her world falls apart

    2010: Gobbo sues Victoria Police for exposing her and settles for $2.9 million

    2014: Gobbo writes to police outlining her fears that the media was about to expose her. She was right

    2014: The Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission investigates her snitching

    2019: Gobbo is exposed as Informer 3838 as the royal commission into how police handle informers like her are treated. Court imposed gag orders protecting her identity are lifted

    Gobbo flees Aus and says she “fears being killed by police more than by crims”

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