It feels as if Australia is on the cusp of a reckoning. The news has been dominated by multiple high profile cases of sexual assault, deaths in custody, and rampant political corruption for almost all of 2021 – it’s clear that the systems and institutions designed to ‘protect’ us do not work the way the public thinks they should. But the justice system is not ‘broken’ per se, and many of the flaws we’re seeing now are symptoms of the intended design. So what’s wrong, exactly, and how can we fix it (can we even fix it)?
For those filled with rage or confusion at the injustices being played out on the national stage, it’s time to pick up one of these five books on Australia’s justice system. Each is written by a formidable author, and focuses on Australia alone.
1. Witness, by Louise Milligan
This book by one of Australia’s most fearless and respected journalists, Louise Milligan, captures everything about the political reckoning we are watching unfold. Witness is an expose on how the legal and justice systems treat sexual assault cases – from the POV of victims, lawyers and judges involved in high profile cases. If you’ve ever wondered why victims don’t ‘come forward sooner’, this book provides the answer.
Milligan is now being sued for defamation by Christian Porter for her role in reporting the 1988 rape that he allegedly committed – yet another example of how Australia’s justice system is “weighted towards the rich and the powerful.”
2. Eggshell Skull, by Bri Lee
Chances are you’ve already heard of (and probably read) Bri Lee’s powerful memoir. But for those who haven’t, here’s the crux of it: Lee tells us of her three-part journey through Australia’s justice and legal systems. First, as the daughter of a policeman. Second, as a judge’s associate in Queensland after completing her law degree. And third, as a complainant in her own case against the man who abused her as a child.
Eggshell Skull is more than a memoir, though. It’s a sharp assessment of how difficult it is for all victims to find justice within our system.
3. Truth Hurts, by Andrew Boe
Barrister Andrew Boe tells a story from the ‘other side’. He has worked on some incredibly high profile trials, including representing notorious serial killer Ivan Milat, and the family of Mulrunji Doomadgee, the Palm Island man who died in custody in 2004. In Truth Hurts, Boe opens up the inner-workings of some of his cases to show the stark imperfections of the legal system – particularly when it comes to issues of race, class and how our society defines ‘truth’.
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4. No Matter Our Wreckage, by Gemma Carey
Only people who have suffered and spoken out about abuse know the real weight of the toll it takes. Everyone else can only understand through listening – and Gemma Carey’s memoir is one place to start. Even though her mother knew about the abuse Carey suffered as a child, she said and did nothing to stop what was happening. While No Matter Our Wreckage doesn’t focus on the justice system, it takes a painfully close look at why such awful crimes are often allowed to happen by those around us – family, friends and society at large.
5. See What You Made Me Do, Jess Hill
This is another investigative deep dive written by a journalist, honing in specifically on Australia’s domestic violence emergency. Hill does so by taking aim at the perpetrators of domestic violence (who are overwhelmingly male) and the systems that enable them. Hill offers her suggestions for what we could do to stop this escalating crisis right now.
See What You Made Me Do won the 2020 Stella Prize, making it one of the best books on Australia’s justice system in recent memory.
