A very Victorian attitude

October 15, 2010 12:28 AM

Andrew Fraser was a successful Victorian barrister until he was jailed for drug trafficking. The investigation against him was led by Detective Sergeant Malcolm Rosenes, but before Fraser entered prison Rosenes was charged with drug trafficking and conspiracy, for which he himself was later imprisoned. In an unlikely twist, Rosenes later approached Fraser to write an account of police corruption in Victoria. The book has been withdrawn from sale in Victoria, allegedly because it identifies informers and a "protected witness", but the publishers say that the material is old news that is publicly available (pdf), while Fraser suggests that the government wishes to avoid any embarrassment immediately before a State election.
posted by Joe in Australia (11 comments total)

My first thought was, all this drug corruption in Victorian times? The 7% solution indeed! But I guess you mean the place in Australia (not either the place in Canada).
posted by msalt at 12:31 AM on October 15, 2010 [8 favorites]

Corruption? In the Victorian Police Force you say? No!
posted by Jimbob at 1:06 AM on October 15, 2010

Wiki on serial killer Peter Dupas:

On September 11, 2006, police charged Dupas with the murder of Mersina Halvagis,[21] after disgraced Melbourne lawyer, Andrew Fraser, revealed Dupas confessed to the killing of Halvagis while gardening weeds in Port Phillip Prison during 2002. [...]

posted by pracowity at 1:30 AM on October 15, 2010

My first thought was, all this drug corruption in Victorian times?

Yeah here I was imagining everyone in period costume, engaging in high drama in 19th century England. And I'm like "I didn't realize they called it 'drug trafficking' back then"
posted by delmoi at 1:56 AM on October 15, 2010 [1 favorite]

Minor point, and of little anyone other than common-law legal practitioners, but Andrew Fraser was a solicitor, not a barrister before his imprisonment.
posted by tim_in_oz at 2:30 AM on October 15, 2010 [1 favorite]

Yeah here I was imagining everyone in period costume, engaging in high drama in 19th century England. And I'm like "I didn't realize they called it 'drug trafficking' back then"

Some of you were sleeping in history class, then.
posted by Bathtub Bobsled at 4:38 AM on October 15, 2010

and of little anyone = and of little interest to anyone
posted by tim_in_oz at 4:43 AM on October 15, 2010

Minor point, and of little anyone other than common-law legal practitioners, but Andrew Fraser was a solicitor, not a barrister before his imprisonment. Well, he was a barrister and solicitor as are all Victorian lawyers. I can't recall whether he did, but he was certainly entitled to practice solely as an advocate. There is no legal distinction between barrister and solicitors in Victoria, it is now a matter of custom: when my wife became a barro, she simply agreed in signing the Bar Roll that she would not practice as a solicitor. She can take direct briefs and do pure paperwork matters; so in a sense all that means that her union is the Bar Council and not the Law Institute. But yes, she's a a barrister but barristers and solicitors are solicitors. It's actually kind of interesting.
posted by hawthorne at 5:24 AM on October 15, 2010

Victoria
Victoria
Victoria
posted by evil_esto at 5:37 AM on October 15, 2010

Yeah here I was imagining everyone in period costume, engaging in high drama in 19th century England. And I'm like "I didn't realize they called it 'drug trafficking' back then"

Some of you were sleeping in history class, then.
posted by Bathtub Bobsled at 4:38 AM on 10/15
Yeah, but those Victorian drug traffickers were knighted, not jailed.
posted by Skeptic at 8:06 AM on October 15, 2010

Yeah, but those Victorian drug traffickers were knighted, not jailed.

Nuts, I always get those two mixed up!
Get Sir Charles Manson in here, will you.
posted by Sutekh at 7:33 AM on October 16, 2010