Hanson and Ettridge win fraud appeal

November 6, 2003

Chief Justice Paul de Jersey told a stunned courtroom today that Ms Hanson and Mr Ettridge had had their convictions overturned and would not face a retrial.

Ms Hanson and Mr Ettridge had sought to overturn the verdict of a Brisbane District Court jury which found them guilty in August.

Chief judge Patsy Wolfe jailed them for three years without parole after they were both convicted of one count of electoral fraud.

Ms Hanson was also convicted of a further two counts of dishonestly obtaining almost $500,000 in electoral funding after the party's 11-seat sweep at the 1998 state election.

They were accused of lying to get the party registered in 1997 ahead of the poll by using a list of more than 500 members of a support movement and not the political party.

The appeal was decided by Justice de Jersey, Queensland Court of Appeal president Margaret McMurdo and Supreme Court judge Geoffrey Davies.

Ms Hanson and Mr Ettridge, who have spent 78 nights in jail, are expected to be released from prison tonight.

AAP


This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/11/06/1068013322975.html