I recently spent time at the Perth Magistrates Court. I was covering a court appearance of a people smuggler and while waiting for my case to start, I began scanning the court list.
Coming from Joburg where the typical court list will is usually in simple easy to understand language I was left quite amused at the Australian legal terms.
In South Africa if you steal, it is called, Theft, If you hit someone it is called Assault, If you kill, you are charged with Murder, if you rape you are charged with Rape etc etc.
The Aussies as I have come to learn do things way differently.
Take for an example my case. Had I been in SA, the charge would have read: Human Trafficking.
Here that charge is: "Attempt bring organise facilitate people who would become citizens and Intent to bring non citizens to Australia".
That was one of the more simple ones.
I will attempt to run through some charges people on the court list here with the charges they would face in SA.
Stealing a car: "Steal Motor Vehicle".Driving without a license: "Drove motor vehicle whilst not being legally entitled".
Assault GBH : "Unlawfully assault and thereby did bodily harm with circumstances of aggression".
Fraud: "Stealing as a servant".
Rape: "Sexual penetration without consent".
Murder: "Wilful Murder"
Other chargers people were in court for were, Threatening Harm (I kid you not), possession of smoking utensil, Wilfully wounding and my personal favourite, Burglary in the place of another person without consent.
Now when was burglary ever consensual, I ask with tears in my eyes?
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