Damien Carrick

Damien Carrick has presented Law Report on the ABC for 23 years ... An insight into the man behind the microphone ... Law and media ... Pursuit of the story ... Pressing topics ... Informative guests ... On The Couch 

Damien Carrick is the voice and guiding spirit behind Law Report, the pre-eminent weekly legal current affairs program broadcast on ABC Radio National and ABC News Radio. Before his career in the media, he worked as a solicitor in various glass towers in Melbourne's CBD.

He joins us on Justinian's Couch. 

Damien Carrick, with coffee: hosting Law Report since 2001

Describe yourself in three words 

 Curious,
Lateral,
(Occasionally) naïve (with a capacity to sometimes not see the wood from the trees).

What are you currently reading? 

"The Season by Helen Garner."

Films and music - what are your favourites? 

"Oh Brother Where Art Thou?" is one of my favourite films and embarrassingly, I like any music from the 1980s.

When are you happiest? 

Spending time with family and friends, jogging and travelling.

Who or what has been most influential in your life?

I found it hard to answer this question but I think on reflection, my dad was a journalist for a while and my older brother is a journalist turned lawyer, so I suspect they were both pretty strong influences.

Why did you think it was a good idea to study law?

The law seemed liked a good framework for understanding how the world works.

Why did you jump from solicitor to radio and law reporting?

I wasn't a great solicitor – or at least I didn't enjoy it  - or both. Looking for distractions, I started volunteering at the community legal centre radio program. That ignited an interest in the media and after a many twists and turns, years later somehow my hobby became my job.

How do you decide what stories to pursue each week?

I'm very lucky. No one tells me what issues to cover. Of course there is an expectation that the Law Report should follow the news agenda. But it needs to add a different, lateral, perspective - distinct those from provided by all my terrific ABC News colleagues. So really whatever issue (or dimension to a big story) I find interesting – I follow.

What Law Report story do you consider the most memorable?

There are many different stories that stick with me.

Once, many years ago, I interviewed a mother whose mentally ill adult son had burned down the family home. In order to secure health treatment, the decision was made to plead not guilty by way of mental disorder. This meant he was being held indefinitely in a maximum-security prison hospital ward. He recovered but he continued to be detained in this way. A few days after broadcast, his mum phoned to say he had been transferred, and his conditions and medical treatment had been improved and updated. 

More recently, I travelled to the Torres Strait islands and interviewed elders about their successful Native Title Claim over the surrounding sea. The evidence they gave was in the form of singing. Recording their songs was a beautiful experience.

Is there a story you would like to put to air but haven't yet done so?

The next one.

What would you change in the ABC, and Radio National specifically?

Aside from the perennial more money and more resources, I'd like to see if we can make the network more accessible without losing quality.

Have you ever been sued?

No, but I've come close. It's very stressful. There are of course complaints, most unfounded. Some do have substance, on rare occasions there have been negotiations between lawyers and very rarely I've apologized. The ABC lawyers are great - both with prepublication advice and post-publication response.

Do you think "open justice" is open enough?

That's a tricky one. I certainly accept that if a jury is involved – there can be solid grounds for suppression orders. Do the courts always get the balance right? I'm not sure. To what extent should we limit the public's right to know so that a jury can be 'untainted'? A jury can be given directions after all…

What law and justice issues should be interrogated more strenuously by the media?

Indigenous issues – in the sense that when it comes to covering indigenous Australians – the media is reactive. It responds to a terrible crime, tragedy or injustice. We haven't yet built a way of having conversations in an ongoing, constructive way. I'm guilty of this as much as anyone.

Are judges and lawyers reluctant to be interviewed for broadcast?

Sometimes. Lawyers are generally happy to talk about cases they have been involved with or provide analysis on their area of expertise. Judges are generally more reticent to be interviewed. But if they have confidence that the journalist understands the judicial role and the limits on what they can and can't say – many will be interviewed. Interestingly, New Zealand judges do appear to be more relaxed about being interviewed than their Australian counterparts.

Who have you found to be the most interesting lawyer or judge?

It's hard to narrow down to just one. Many stand out, if I had to put names, I'd include Justice Michael Kirby of the HCA, Justice Albie Sachs of the South Africa's Constitutional Court and Justice Joe Williams of the NZ Supreme Court.

What's next for Damien Carrick?

I'm woefully unstrategic. I'm afraid there is no grand plan.

If you were a foodstuff what would you be?

Strong espresso coffee. No deep metaphor here – it just, quite literally, needs to be in my body for any form of thinking or conversation to take place.