Diane Fingleton describes the improvement of police culture and professional practices since the Fitzgerald Inquiry. She also discusses police culture and its relationship with the magistrates court.
Diane Fingleton states that prison did not change the way in which she sentenced defendants. She describes the vindication she felt in returning to the bench and having her professional reputation restored.
Diane Fingleton discusses the financial compensation she received from the Beattie Government following her acquittal and her reinstatement to the bench at the Caloundra Magistrates Court. She mentions the impacts that her wrongful conviction has had upon her husband's career as well as her own.
Diane Fingleton explains the reforms she implemented regarding the existing magistrates transfer scheme during her time as Chief Magistrate and the problems that persisted within the system.
Diane Fingleton discusses the conservatism she encountered in the Magistrates Court and the opposition she faced on the basis of her gender and beliefs.
Diane Fingleton considers mandatory sentencing and its implications for judicial discretion. She reflects on the distortion of sentencing issues in the media.
Diane Fingleton comments on the lack of formal training that existed during her time of transition from advocate to magistrate. She explains the resistance she faced in the courts system because she had not risen to her position through the clerks system, and also due to her gender.
