Protesters awarded $200,000

A group of student protesters who sued police and a former parliamentary speaker over their arrests in Parliament Grounds 12 years ago have been awarded over $200,000, their lawyers say.
Human rights lawyers Tony Ellis and Antony Shaw, and Graham Howell, spokesman for the 41 people who sued, released a statement late tonight welcoming an agreement to settle High Court proceedings.

They said 75 students attending a peaceful demonstration in Parliament Grounds in September 1997 were arrested, and some were detained overnight. Some protesters alleged they had been strip searched, assaulted, denied the right to a lawyer, unlawfully denied bail and unlawfully denied phone calls, while others claimed they were denied proper food, bedding or tampons.

All 75 arrested were prosecuted unsuccessfully for trespass and 41 sued in the High Court believing the actions of then speaker Doug Kidd and police were a breach of their fundamental freedoms.

The settlement meant each protester would receive compensation ranging from $2500 to $5000 - totalling $152,500 and about $50,000 would be paid towards the costs of the long running dispute.

"For many the written apologies from the speaker and police commissioner, was the turning point for settlement," the statement said.

"However, the cash settlement, and apologies barely atone for the arrests and detention, and mistreatment in the cells."

Mr Kidd used his power to eject the students from Parliament Grounds when they were protesting the education policies of the then National government.