Derek Bromley’s Last Bid for Freedom

The Guardian reported the story of Derek Bromley, who, in 1984, was charged with the murder of Stephen Docoza. Bromley has been eligible for parole since 2006, but since he has persistently denied the charge against him, his applications have been repeatedly denied. South Australia’s appeal laws that came into effect in 2013 allow Bromley to challenge his conviction, and after having multiple appeals rejected, Bromley is now facing his last chance to appeal the 2018 ruling to the High Court. In the 2018 ruling, Bromley questioned the testimony of forensic pathologist Dr. Colin Manock, whom had previous reliability challenges in other cases, and also argued the eyewitness testimony used against him should be deemed unreliable, since said witness was experiencing schizoaffective disorder at the time. The court of criminal appeal dismissed the 2018 application, citing lack of enticing new evidence, and so Bromley is now facing his last bid for freedom. The article cites academics Bob Moles and Bibi Sangha, who have articulated the need for a national criminal case review commission to accompany the newly established appeal laws. The commission would would act as an additional layer of protection against wrongful convictions, as well as added assurance victims of crimes are protected against miscarriages of justice. Moles commented an independent commission would have been able to investigate, and find concerns regarding eyewitness testimony and Manock’s questionable judgement far earlier, possibly sparing Bromley 40 years of incarceration.

More information can be found at: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/aug/30/derek-bromley-to-make-one-last-bid-for-freedom-after-nearly-40-years-in-jail-for