The Wire

The Coronial Inquest into a death in police custody on Palm Island began this week and was expected to bring closure for the community. But the Inquest is under a shadow, with lawyers on both sides questioning whether State Coroner Michael Barnes should step down from the hearings. The Doomadgee family’s lawyers said Mr Barnes may be biased because he had previously investigated Constable Chris Hurley on unrelated matters and cleared him of any wrongdoing. Lawyers acting for the Police questioned whether the Coroner could be objective after sharing a beer with the Doomadgee family lawyer at the Palm Island Motel.