The Oz Trial2

The Justice Game : 

The Justice Game by Geoffrey Robertson

What does the BOS want? : 

What does the BOS want? ELECTIVES: Advanced MODULE C: Representation and Text Elective 1: Conflicting Perspectives In their responding and composing, students consider the ways in which conflicting perspectives on events, personalities or situations are represented in their prescribed text and other related texts of their own choosing. Students analyse and evaluate how acts of representation, such as the choice of textual forms, features and language, shape meaning and influence responses. Students choose one of the following texts (THE JUSTICE GAME) as the basis of their further exploration of the representations of conflicting perspectives.

The Oz Trial – The facts : 

The Oz Trial – The facts Who - Richard Neville, Jim Andersen and Felix Dennis What - were on trial for obscenity Why - following the publication of the Schoolkids edition of Oz When - 1971 Where - The Old Bailey Court

The Oz Trial Background : 

The Oz Trial Background In1963 Richard Neville, Richard Walsh and Martin Sharp started the satirical magazine “Oz” in Sydney. It quickly aroused controversy and led to two charges of obscenity against the editors.

Slide 5: 

The magazine explored subjects regarded as taboo in the 1960s. Topics such as abortion, homosexuality, racism and police brutality were explored and the editors opposed the Vietnam War. There were also investigations into the Sydney Underworld. However police were not amused by the attacks on them in each magazine and were happy to arrest Walsh, Sharp and Neville for a second time after Issue No.6 was published with the picture of the 3 urinating into a new fountain which the PM had just opened. They got 6 months hard labour (but won on appeal)

Oz in England : 

Oz in England In 1967 Oz moved to England where it quickly gained notoriety for both its subject matter and its artwork. It along with other underground newspapers was targeted by the Obscene Publications Squad

Schoolkids OZ : 

Schoolkids OZ In 1970 in response to claims that Oz had lost touch with youth the magazine advertised for young people to compose an issue of “Oz” N0 28 the Schoolkids Oz. Believing that the issue was FOR schoolkids rather that BY schoolkids and outraged by the highly sexualised parody of the Rupert the Bear cartoon authorities charged the three London editors Neville, Anderson and Dennis with “conspiracy to corrupt Public morals”

Slide 9: 

No 28- The one that caused all the problems

The Trial : 

The Trial At the time it was the longest obscenity trial in British history. John Mortimer QC, the defence lawyer, said that“[the] case stands at the crossroads of our liberty, at the boundaries of our freedom to think and draw and write what we please”

The other side : 

The other side According to Mr Brian Leary prosecuting "It [Issue 28] dealt with homosexuality, lesbianism, sadism, perverted sexual practices and drug taking”. The conflicting perspectives of a society undergoing great change were reflected in the cases for prosecution and defence. The defence called a range of actors, artists and philosophers including Edward De Bono. The prosecution focused on the “sexual perversion” of this and other issues. John and Yoko Ono wrote a song in support of the Oz Three

The outcome : 

The outcome Finally, after a particularly biased performance from the judge, Neville, Andersen and Dennis were acquitted on the charge of conspiracy. They were convicted of two lesser charges and sentenced to hard labour. Dennis was given a lighter charge because the judge considered him “very much less intelligent”. The three were carted off to prison for “psychiatric tests” and (at the time this caused great outrage) had their hair cut!

The Aftermath : 

The Aftermath After several weeks the three were released on bail pending an appeal. During the appeal the judge was found to have seriously mislead the jury. Witnesses were found to have been harassed and intimidated. The charges were dropped. Oz magazine gradually faded away, closing in 1973. Rupert Murdoch was able to publish pictures of semi naked women on Page 3 of his papers