5 May 2009
Tuesday Transcript: Reality-based decision-making
Way back in January, the High Court was presented with an unusual argument:
MR STREET: We say in relation to ground 3 that we have put forward that that raises the existence of what I will call the parallel universe. … We say that Ground 3 challenges the existence of the universe.
[FRENCH CJ]: Let us not get lost in the metaphor.
A fine suggestion, but perhaps easier said than done. When the matter came on for substantive hearing, it was not the parties but Justice Gummow who strayed through the interdimensional portal:
GUMMOW J: So notions of accumulation are rather confusing really. You are in parallel universes; you are not in cumulative universes, if I can stretch things that way.
MR GAGELER: Your Honour, I got into this debate with Mr Street.
HAYNE J: Professor Hawking is very ill at the moment.
MR GAGELER: Your Honour, metaphors are probably unhelpful.
FRENCH CJ: Mr Street has been there before and we tried to usher him out of the parallel universes.
Fortunately, the Chief Justice is a science fiction buff — he used to have a Star Trek poster hanging in his Federal Court chambers — so he was able to safely pilot the Court away from hypothetical disaster.
Related posts:
- Tuesday Transcript: Pipe Down
- Tuesday Transcript: Tell us what you really think
- Tuesday Transcript: High Court TV reviews
- Tuesday Transcript: Hats off in court, please
- Tuesday Transcript: Nice Catch
