Stuart Littlemore
Stuart Littlemore QC is an Australian barrister and former journalist and television presenter. He created the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's (ABC) long-running Media Watch program, which he hosted from its inception in 1989 to 1997.
Contents
1 Media career
2 Writing
3 Legal career
4 Honours
5 References
6 External links
Media career
Littlemore was educated at the Scots College, and later studied law at the University of New South Wales,[1] 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.[2] Having established his legal career, in 1989 Littlemore created the media commentary program, Media Watch, for the ABC, which he presented for a further 8 years. His motivation was "I want to show people the problems – not tell them. The program will be contentious. I hope. And idiosyncratic."[3] He published a book about his media experiences entitled The Media and Me in 1996.[4]
Following Media Watch, he had a short-running discussion program, Littlemore (2001), which, like the former program, examined issues about the media.[5]
Littlemore has made a handful of film and television appearances, playing a reporter in the 1978 film Money Movers and also in the 1983 TV series The Dismissal. He also made guest appearances on the 1990s comedy series Frontline, playing himself in his role as Media Watch host.
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.[6]
Legal career
Littlemore began practising law in 1979, and now specialises in media law and criminal law.[7] 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.[8] 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."[9][10]
In 2002 Littlemore was accused of scratching a neighbour's car. A woman was sitting in her black Saab studying her street directory, when she claimed Littlemore walked past and keyed her car. She gave chase, hit him with the street guide, and reported the matter to police. Littlemore denied that it was him and filed a report to the police that his neighbours were trying to blackmail him. Later his wife was reported to have offered to pay for the damage - $1160 - if Ms Sylvester withdrew the allegations and vowed never to mention them again. The case was dropped by the police due to insufficient evidence.[11][12]
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.[13]
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.[14] A settlement was reached between the parties out of court.[15]
In 2012, Littlemore represented former NSW Labor politician Eddie Obeid in hearings before the Independent Commission Against Corruption.[16]
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
^ Brown, A. J. (7 January 2012). "Obituary: Robert Hayes: Backer of those without a voice". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2 July 2017..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
^ Davies, Brian (9 January 2008). "Newsman of a different age: John Crew (1927–2007)". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax. Retrieved 7 August 2010.
^ https://aso.gov.au/titles/tv/media-watch-series-9-episode-1/notes/
^ Littlemore, Stuart (1996). The Media and Me. Sydney: ABC Books.
^ Tabakoff, Jenny (2 April 2002). "The watchdog barks again". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax. Retrieved 7 August 2010.
^ Littlemore, Stuart (2011). Harry Curry: Counsel of Choice. Pymble, N.S.W.: HarperCollins Publishers.
^ http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/interview-stuart-littlemore-20110721-1hqhy.html
^ "Educational Integrity Conference". Unisa.edu.au. 22 November 2003. Archived from the original on 23 November 2008. Retrieved 22 November 2009.
^ Ackland, Richard (16 March 2007). "Innocence and guilt in the hands of the brief". The Age. Fairfax. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
^ Whitton, Evan. "The Cartel: Lawyers and Their Nine Magic Tricks". Retrieved 30 May 2013.
^ Neil Mercer (2002-12-21). "Talk of a QC scratches surface of the black Saab mystery". Sydney Morning Herald.
^ Kate McClymont (2003-04-12). "Case scratched". Sydney Morning Herald.
^ 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.
^ AAP (22 March 2009). "Hanson enlists a Littlemore aid as she takes her final bow". The Age. Fairfax. Retrieved 19 May 2009.
^ O'Malley, Nick & Jensen, Erik (19 May 2009). "Valuable lesson from Pauline". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax. Retrieved 19 May 2009.
^ Whitbourn, Michaela (13 November 2012). "Obeids plotted $100m deal: neighbour". The Australian Financial Review. Fairfax. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
External links
- 1997 episode of Media Watch presented by Stuart Littlemore (Part 1)
- 1997 episode of Media Watch presented by Stuart Littlemore (Part 2)
- ASO entry
- Lunch with Stuart Littlemore
| Media offices | ||
|---|---|---|
New title | Presenter of Media Watch 1989–1997 | Succeeded by Richard Ackland |
