Rewind

Slices from Justinian's past ... There's an eerie familiarity to old news ... Sharing tidings from the hard copy era ... From Justinian's archive ... Stories from March 1988 and December 1994 

The honourable member

I know readers will be shocked at the suggestion abroad that Paul Landa, the former NSW Attorney General and Minister for Planning and Environment, Education and other things, took bribes.

One of a number of allegations concerning the former minister that is under investigation by the police is that he took a $60,000 bribe in the presence of a staff member.

I'm sure his vast property empire, a lot of it mortgage free, that grew out of his meagre emoluments as a solicitor and a politician, can all be satisfactorily explained.

However, there is an event that was indeed witnessed on one occasion by a member of the minister's staff.

This official bustled through the door of the minister's office just in time to see the Hon. Landa seated at his desk closely examining the exquisite detail of his private member.

It was hastily returned to the depths of the ministerial trousers amid much alarm and consternation. 

Justinian, March 1988

One Woollahra evening

Littlemore: racing away

Leading bar luminary S.M. Littlemore is being sued for defamation by Jane Marquard, an in-house solicitor for Channel Nine, following allegations made on Media Watch that she illegally provided bail surety for a convicted criminal. 

The latest twist is that Channel Nine reporter Chris Smith has been charged in relation to this bail application. 

However, the process server, Mark Mullens, acting for Marquard's solicitor, had no luck in cornering Littlemore in his chambers.

He had got the flick from the receptionist on a number of occasions. One time after waiting in the reception area he was asked to leave by a security guard at just after 5.30 in the afternoon because "the building was closing". 

He waited outside in the street for another two hours, returned the next morning at 8am and hovered around outside for another 50 minutes but, alas, did not see the the great man. 

He then went to the 13^th floor of 169 Phillip Street and was told by the receptionist that his target would not see him, and to serve the papers on the solicitor at the ABC. 

Mullens waited around for another hour-and-a-half, and again there was no sighting. 

He returned in the late afternoon and waited another three-quarters of an hour in the reception area, and a further hour outside the building. Again no sign of Stewie.

According to Mullens' affidavit of service, he discovered Littlemore's home address on the electoral roll. Mullens' principal was under instructions from Nine's solicitor, Mark O'Brien of Gilbert & Tobin.

Littlemore answered his front door at 7.26pm on Sunday October 10, and Mullens said: 

"Mr Stuart Littlemore, I have a statement of claim and notice of motion for you."

According to the affidavit of service, Littlemore replied: 

"Look, you were told to serve this on the ABC solicitor. He was quite happy to take it. Do you work for Gilbert & Tobin?"

"Indirectly," said Mullens. "I'm a process server."

The affidavit says that Littlemore replied:

"Well, this was fuckin' O'Brien. He's the one who has stuffed you around."

Dear oh me. 

Justinian, December 1994