Stuart Littlemore

Stuart Littlemore QC is an Australian barrister and former journalist and television presenter. He is best known for his time as writer and host of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's (ABC) Media Watch program, which he conceived and presented from its inception in 1989 to 1997.

Media career

He was educated at the Scots College, and later studied law at the University of New South Wales, winning the ALSA Championship Moot in 1978.

His broadcasting experience began in the late 1960s when he worked as a television current affairs journalist for the BBC in London, and then the ABC, firstly on This Day Tonight and then on Four Corners.[1] In the 1970s and 1980s, he played a television reporter in the film The Money Movers and the TV series The Dismissal and made guest appearances in the 1990s on the comedy series Frontline, playing himself as the host of Media Watch. Following Media Watch, he had a short-running discussion program, Littlemore (2001).[2] He published a book about his media experiences entitled The Media and Me in 1996.[3]

Writing

Between 2011 and 2014 he published the bestselling 'Harry Curry' series of novels about a renegade barrister's life at the Sydney Bar: Counsel of Choice, The Murder Book and Rats and Mice.[4]

Legal career

In his legal practice, Littlemore specialises in media law and criminal law. He has lectured in journalism and politics at three Australian universities, and been awarded a number of fellowships, including ones from the Australia Council, Deakin University, and the University of Tasmania.[5] As a lawyer Littlemore has spoken publicly about how he feels it is a professional challenge to knowingly get the guilty acquitted at trial. In an interview in October 1995 on Channel 7 when asked by host Andrew Denton if he could defend "someone who you yourself believe not to be innocent", Littlemore's response was "Well, they're the best cases. I mean, you really feel you've done something when you get the guilty off. Anyone can get an innocent person off. I mean, they shouldn't be on trial. But the guilty – that's the challenge."[6] [7]

Littlemore represented Mercedes Corby, the sister of Schapelle Corby, in her defamation action against Australian television broadcaster the Seven Network which was decided in her favour.[8] He also represented Pauline Hanson in her defamation action against News Ltd., after The Sun-Herald and The Sunday Telegraph published (and later retracted) nude photographs that they claimed showed a young Ms Hanson.[9] A settlement was reached between the parties out of court.[10]

In 2012, Littlemore represented former NSW Labor politician Eddie Obeid in hearings before the Independent Commission Against Corruption.[11]

Honours

In 2001, Littlemore was appointed an Officier de l'Ordre national du Mérite by the President of France, Jacques Chirac, for services to Law and Journalism.

References

  1. ↑ Davies, Brian (9 January 2008). "Newsman of a different age: John Crew (1927–2007)". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax. Retrieved 7 August 2010.
  2. ↑ Tabakoff, Jenny (2 April 2002). "The watchdog barks again". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax. Retrieved 7 August 2010.
  3. ↑ Littlemore, Stuart (1996). The Media and Me. Sydney: ABC Books.
  4. ↑ Littlemore, Stuart (2011). Harry Curry: Counsel of Choice. Pymble, N.S.W.: HarperCollins Publishers.
  5. ↑ "Educational Integrity Conference". Unisa.edu.au. 22 November 2003. Retrieved 22 November 2009.
  6. ↑ Ackland, Richard (16 March 2007). "Innocence and guilt in the hands of the brief". The Age. Fairfax. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
  7. ↑ Whitton, Evan. "The Cartel: Lawyers and Their Nine Magic Tricks". Retrieved 30 May 2013.
  8. ↑ Brown, Malcolm (30 May 2008). "Jury's verdict is a win at last for Team Corby". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
  9. ↑ AAP (22 March 2009). "Hanson enlists a Littlemore aid as she takes her final bow". The Age. Fairfax. Retrieved 19 May 2009.
  10. ↑ O'Malley, Nick & Jensen, Erik (19 May 2009). "Valuable lesson from Pauline". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax. Retrieved 19 May 2009.
  11. ↑ Whitbourn, Michaela (13 November 2012). "Obeids plotted $100m deal: neighbour". The Australian Financial Review. Fairfax. Retrieved 19 November 2012.

External links

Media offices
New title Presenter of Media Watch
1989–1997 		Succeeded by
Richard Ackland
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