Stephen Maunsell found in contempt of court after expletive-laden outburst
Stephen Maunsell made the comments when he represented himself during protracted legal proceedings in the ACT Magistrates Court in 2023.
He was later accused of disrupting the court by insulting the magistrates and lawyers involved in the case, failing to comply with court processes, and refusing to stop when the presiding magistrate ordered him.
In an exchange with one magistrate, Maunsell back-chatted until he was told to stop arguing.
Maunsell: You're a bunch of corrupt c***s.
Magistrate: If you continue to use that language, I will have you removed.
Maunsell: Well, if you don't believe evidence that's right in front of you, you're corrupt. I've provided evidence, black-and-f***ing-white evidence.
In another exchange, Maunsell called a magistrate a raving feminist.
During the contempt proceedings, in front of Chief Magistrate Lorraine Walker, Maunsell took up the opportunity to apologise, aiming to have the matter 'purged'.
It was put to him that he should have known how to address judicial officers, not to answer telephone calls in the courtroom, and not leave while a decision was being handed down.
Maunsell said he did not know enough about legal etiquette at the time, but now regretted his actions.
"Looking at what happened, I regret my actions and I can now see that my actions were not acceptable and those people in the courtroom shouldn't have been spoken to in that way," Maunsell said in an affidavit.
"I can now look back on it and go, 'Yes, I accept I was wrong. I take responsibility for that and I absolutely apologise to those people that — that I offended during those times."
But when he was cross-examined on the matters and invited to take back the claims about the lawyers being liars, he refused, saying the transcripts showed they lied.
He also refused to withdraw his accusation that a magistrate was being a "raving feminist".
Chief Magistrate Walker was not impressed.
"It was clearly intended to support his position that she was corrupt and had made her decision because of a philosophical bias without proper regard to the evidence before her," Chief Magistrate Walker said.
Chief Magistrate Walker said Maunsell was on notice at the time of the incident that his behaviour was unacceptable.
Maunsell was found to be in contempt of the court, with an order that he should be punished, although what form that will take has not been made clear.
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