Latest news with #Folbigg
The Advertiser
15-07-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Premier's cold shoulder sparks fears of bigger snub for Kathleen Folbigg
SERIOUS questions are being asked about the NSW state government's commitment to compensation for wrongly convicted Hunter woman Kathleen Folbigg. NSW Premier Chris Minns has raised the spectre of another legal battle for Ms Folbigg, who was jailed for 20 years for crimes she did not commit. The premier has come under attack over what Ms Folbigg's supporters and legal team say has been an onerous delay in determining her application for an ex gratia payment by way of compensation for the jail term she served after being wrongfully convicted of murdering her four children. Mr Minns said Ms Folbigg was "entitled to take her matter to the courts" and sue the NSW government. Ms Folbigg's life has been consumed by police investigations, court appearances and jail terms since the death of her daughter, Laura, on February 27, 1999, which followed on from the deaths of her first three children. Twenty five years later, during a budget estimates hearing in August, 2024, the Premier conceded there'd been a delay. He said the matter was in the hands of Attorney General Michael Daley, but that he himself would look into the circumstances that "have resulted in a delay" in determining Ms Folbigg's application. In February this year, Mr Daley said it was complicated, but that it would "be weeks, rather than months" before Ms Folbigg would have an answer. "That would be my expectation," Mr Daley said. "This is a complex and in some ways unprecedented matter for me to consider, (with) very important considerations both for Ms Folbigg, for the expenditure of public money and for precedent value that the government's decision at the end of the day in relation to quantum will create," he said. He also referred to her application as voluminous. On Monday this week, Mr Minns publicly refused to meet with Ms Folbigg. "There's a lot of difficult calls for me to make as Premier," he said about his refusal to meet with her. "This isn't one of them." Greens MP and spokesperson for justice, solicitor Sue Higginson, has condemned his comments. On Tuesday she went a step further saying he needs to explain himself given that he seemed to have potentially paved the way for the application's refusal. "Is there some other motivation behind those comments, should we all, including Kathleen, be taking this as a sign that they're not going to be honouring an ex-gratia payment of sorts," Ms Higginson said. "That's the real concern." The question of an ex gratia payment was "wholly discretionary territory", Ms Higginson said, which meant the government could, if it was minded to do so, pay Ms Folbigg some compensation before ultimately settling on any final amount. "There are some guidelines ... but it's entirely at the discretion of the government and what we would say is, it's absolutely appropriate that an ex gratia payment of some sort would be the way to provide Kath Folbigg some form of compensation so she can get on with her life," she said. "They could be providing her some compassion, some security, some assurance and some dignity right now and that's why I've come out very strongly on this." Mr Minns, in saying Ms Folbigg had every right to sue the government, was completely tone deaf, Ms Higginson said. "With my lawyer hat on, I find it unfathomable," she said. "It was void of all genuine understanding of the history. He represents the state and thus the system that wrongfully jailed Kathleen Folbigg ... and that had her jailed for 20 years of her life. "It's hard to imagine anything worse than wrongful conviction. The time, the taxation on her being, the cost, to then go and commence a civil case, just tells me that he needs some lessons in the legal system of NSW and he needs to go and undertake some trauma-informed training." Ms Folbigg has refused requests for an interview after coming out on Monday saying she feels as though her life is "still on hold". Ms Folbigg, who lived in Newcastle as a child and went on to live variously in Georgetown, Thornton, Cardiff, and Singleton, was issued an unconditional pardon by NSW Governor Margaret Beazely and released from prison on June 5, 2023. Six months later, on December 14, her convictions were quashed in the Court of Criminal Appeal. Her legal team submitted a claim for an ex gratia payment in July, 2024. Experts have said that Ms Folbigg may receive the state's largest ever compensation payout of up to $10 million, but so far the 58-year-old hasn't seen a cent. It is understood that Ms Folbigg, who is renting in Newcastle, is struggling to manage financially. "Adjusting to 2025 prices has been confronting," Ms Folbigg said. "Even basics like groceries, power bills, and public transport are so much higher than they were in 2003. The world has changed so much while I was away." SERIOUS questions are being asked about the NSW state government's commitment to compensation for wrongly convicted Hunter woman Kathleen Folbigg. NSW Premier Chris Minns has raised the spectre of another legal battle for Ms Folbigg, who was jailed for 20 years for crimes she did not commit. The premier has come under attack over what Ms Folbigg's supporters and legal team say has been an onerous delay in determining her application for an ex gratia payment by way of compensation for the jail term she served after being wrongfully convicted of murdering her four children. Mr Minns said Ms Folbigg was "entitled to take her matter to the courts" and sue the NSW government. Ms Folbigg's life has been consumed by police investigations, court appearances and jail terms since the death of her daughter, Laura, on February 27, 1999, which followed on from the deaths of her first three children. Twenty five years later, during a budget estimates hearing in August, 2024, the Premier conceded there'd been a delay. He said the matter was in the hands of Attorney General Michael Daley, but that he himself would look into the circumstances that "have resulted in a delay" in determining Ms Folbigg's application. In February this year, Mr Daley said it was complicated, but that it would "be weeks, rather than months" before Ms Folbigg would have an answer. "That would be my expectation," Mr Daley said. "This is a complex and in some ways unprecedented matter for me to consider, (with) very important considerations both for Ms Folbigg, for the expenditure of public money and for precedent value that the government's decision at the end of the day in relation to quantum will create," he said. He also referred to her application as voluminous. On Monday this week, Mr Minns publicly refused to meet with Ms Folbigg. "There's a lot of difficult calls for me to make as Premier," he said about his refusal to meet with her. "This isn't one of them." Greens MP and spokesperson for justice, solicitor Sue Higginson, has condemned his comments. On Tuesday she went a step further saying he needs to explain himself given that he seemed to have potentially paved the way for the application's refusal. "Is there some other motivation behind those comments, should we all, including Kathleen, be taking this as a sign that they're not going to be honouring an ex-gratia payment of sorts," Ms Higginson said. "That's the real concern." The question of an ex gratia payment was "wholly discretionary territory", Ms Higginson said, which meant the government could, if it was minded to do so, pay Ms Folbigg some compensation before ultimately settling on any final amount. "There are some guidelines ... but it's entirely at the discretion of the government and what we would say is, it's absolutely appropriate that an ex gratia payment of some sort would be the way to provide Kath Folbigg some form of compensation so she can get on with her life," she said. "They could be providing her some compassion, some security, some assurance and some dignity right now and that's why I've come out very strongly on this." Mr Minns, in saying Ms Folbigg had every right to sue the government, was completely tone deaf, Ms Higginson said. "With my lawyer hat on, I find it unfathomable," she said. "It was void of all genuine understanding of the history. He represents the state and thus the system that wrongfully jailed Kathleen Folbigg ... and that had her jailed for 20 years of her life. "It's hard to imagine anything worse than wrongful conviction. The time, the taxation on her being, the cost, to then go and commence a civil case, just tells me that he needs some lessons in the legal system of NSW and he needs to go and undertake some trauma-informed training." Ms Folbigg has refused requests for an interview after coming out on Monday saying she feels as though her life is "still on hold". Ms Folbigg, who lived in Newcastle as a child and went on to live variously in Georgetown, Thornton, Cardiff, and Singleton, was issued an unconditional pardon by NSW Governor Margaret Beazely and released from prison on June 5, 2023. Six months later, on December 14, her convictions were quashed in the Court of Criminal Appeal. Her legal team submitted a claim for an ex gratia payment in July, 2024. Experts have said that Ms Folbigg may receive the state's largest ever compensation payout of up to $10 million, but so far the 58-year-old hasn't seen a cent. It is understood that Ms Folbigg, who is renting in Newcastle, is struggling to manage financially. "Adjusting to 2025 prices has been confronting," Ms Folbigg said. "Even basics like groceries, power bills, and public transport are so much higher than they were in 2003. The world has changed so much while I was away." SERIOUS questions are being asked about the NSW state government's commitment to compensation for wrongly convicted Hunter woman Kathleen Folbigg. NSW Premier Chris Minns has raised the spectre of another legal battle for Ms Folbigg, who was jailed for 20 years for crimes she did not commit. The premier has come under attack over what Ms Folbigg's supporters and legal team say has been an onerous delay in determining her application for an ex gratia payment by way of compensation for the jail term she served after being wrongfully convicted of murdering her four children. Mr Minns said Ms Folbigg was "entitled to take her matter to the courts" and sue the NSW government. Ms Folbigg's life has been consumed by police investigations, court appearances and jail terms since the death of her daughter, Laura, on February 27, 1999, which followed on from the deaths of her first three children. Twenty five years later, during a budget estimates hearing in August, 2024, the Premier conceded there'd been a delay. He said the matter was in the hands of Attorney General Michael Daley, but that he himself would look into the circumstances that "have resulted in a delay" in determining Ms Folbigg's application. In February this year, Mr Daley said it was complicated, but that it would "be weeks, rather than months" before Ms Folbigg would have an answer. "That would be my expectation," Mr Daley said. "This is a complex and in some ways unprecedented matter for me to consider, (with) very important considerations both for Ms Folbigg, for the expenditure of public money and for precedent value that the government's decision at the end of the day in relation to quantum will create," he said. He also referred to her application as voluminous. On Monday this week, Mr Minns publicly refused to meet with Ms Folbigg. "There's a lot of difficult calls for me to make as Premier," he said about his refusal to meet with her. "This isn't one of them." Greens MP and spokesperson for justice, solicitor Sue Higginson, has condemned his comments. On Tuesday she went a step further saying he needs to explain himself given that he seemed to have potentially paved the way for the application's refusal. "Is there some other motivation behind those comments, should we all, including Kathleen, be taking this as a sign that they're not going to be honouring an ex-gratia payment of sorts," Ms Higginson said. "That's the real concern." The question of an ex gratia payment was "wholly discretionary territory", Ms Higginson said, which meant the government could, if it was minded to do so, pay Ms Folbigg some compensation before ultimately settling on any final amount. "There are some guidelines ... but it's entirely at the discretion of the government and what we would say is, it's absolutely appropriate that an ex gratia payment of some sort would be the way to provide Kath Folbigg some form of compensation so she can get on with her life," she said. "They could be providing her some compassion, some security, some assurance and some dignity right now and that's why I've come out very strongly on this." Mr Minns, in saying Ms Folbigg had every right to sue the government, was completely tone deaf, Ms Higginson said. "With my lawyer hat on, I find it unfathomable," she said. "It was void of all genuine understanding of the history. He represents the state and thus the system that wrongfully jailed Kathleen Folbigg ... and that had her jailed for 20 years of her life. "It's hard to imagine anything worse than wrongful conviction. The time, the taxation on her being, the cost, to then go and commence a civil case, just tells me that he needs some lessons in the legal system of NSW and he needs to go and undertake some trauma-informed training." Ms Folbigg has refused requests for an interview after coming out on Monday saying she feels as though her life is "still on hold". Ms Folbigg, who lived in Newcastle as a child and went on to live variously in Georgetown, Thornton, Cardiff, and Singleton, was issued an unconditional pardon by NSW Governor Margaret Beazely and released from prison on June 5, 2023. Six months later, on December 14, her convictions were quashed in the Court of Criminal Appeal. Her legal team submitted a claim for an ex gratia payment in July, 2024. Experts have said that Ms Folbigg may receive the state's largest ever compensation payout of up to $10 million, but so far the 58-year-old hasn't seen a cent. It is understood that Ms Folbigg, who is renting in Newcastle, is struggling to manage financially. "Adjusting to 2025 prices has been confronting," Ms Folbigg said. "Even basics like groceries, power bills, and public transport are so much higher than they were in 2003. The world has changed so much while I was away." SERIOUS questions are being asked about the NSW state government's commitment to compensation for wrongly convicted Hunter woman Kathleen Folbigg. NSW Premier Chris Minns has raised the spectre of another legal battle for Ms Folbigg, who was jailed for 20 years for crimes she did not commit. The premier has come under attack over what Ms Folbigg's supporters and legal team say has been an onerous delay in determining her application for an ex gratia payment by way of compensation for the jail term she served after being wrongfully convicted of murdering her four children. Mr Minns said Ms Folbigg was "entitled to take her matter to the courts" and sue the NSW government. Ms Folbigg's life has been consumed by police investigations, court appearances and jail terms since the death of her daughter, Laura, on February 27, 1999, which followed on from the deaths of her first three children. Twenty five years later, during a budget estimates hearing in August, 2024, the Premier conceded there'd been a delay. He said the matter was in the hands of Attorney General Michael Daley, but that he himself would look into the circumstances that "have resulted in a delay" in determining Ms Folbigg's application. In February this year, Mr Daley said it was complicated, but that it would "be weeks, rather than months" before Ms Folbigg would have an answer. "That would be my expectation," Mr Daley said. "This is a complex and in some ways unprecedented matter for me to consider, (with) very important considerations both for Ms Folbigg, for the expenditure of public money and for precedent value that the government's decision at the end of the day in relation to quantum will create," he said. He also referred to her application as voluminous. On Monday this week, Mr Minns publicly refused to meet with Ms Folbigg. "There's a lot of difficult calls for me to make as Premier," he said about his refusal to meet with her. "This isn't one of them." Greens MP and spokesperson for justice, solicitor Sue Higginson, has condemned his comments. On Tuesday she went a step further saying he needs to explain himself given that he seemed to have potentially paved the way for the application's refusal. "Is there some other motivation behind those comments, should we all, including Kathleen, be taking this as a sign that they're not going to be honouring an ex-gratia payment of sorts," Ms Higginson said. "That's the real concern." The question of an ex gratia payment was "wholly discretionary territory", Ms Higginson said, which meant the government could, if it was minded to do so, pay Ms Folbigg some compensation before ultimately settling on any final amount. "There are some guidelines ... but it's entirely at the discretion of the government and what we would say is, it's absolutely appropriate that an ex gratia payment of some sort would be the way to provide Kath Folbigg some form of compensation so she can get on with her life," she said. "They could be providing her some compassion, some security, some assurance and some dignity right now and that's why I've come out very strongly on this." Mr Minns, in saying Ms Folbigg had every right to sue the government, was completely tone deaf, Ms Higginson said. "With my lawyer hat on, I find it unfathomable," she said. "It was void of all genuine understanding of the history. He represents the state and thus the system that wrongfully jailed Kathleen Folbigg ... and that had her jailed for 20 years of her life. "It's hard to imagine anything worse than wrongful conviction. The time, the taxation on her being, the cost, to then go and commence a civil case, just tells me that he needs some lessons in the legal system of NSW and he needs to go and undertake some trauma-informed training." Ms Folbigg has refused requests for an interview after coming out on Monday saying she feels as though her life is "still on hold". Ms Folbigg, who lived in Newcastle as a child and went on to live variously in Georgetown, Thornton, Cardiff, and Singleton, was issued an unconditional pardon by NSW Governor Margaret Beazely and released from prison on June 5, 2023. Six months later, on December 14, her convictions were quashed in the Court of Criminal Appeal. Her legal team submitted a claim for an ex gratia payment in July, 2024. Experts have said that Ms Folbigg may receive the state's largest ever compensation payout of up to $10 million, but so far the 58-year-old hasn't seen a cent. It is understood that Ms Folbigg, who is renting in Newcastle, is struggling to manage financially. "Adjusting to 2025 prices has been confronting," Ms Folbigg said. "Even basics like groceries, power bills, and public transport are so much higher than they were in 2003. The world has changed so much while I was away."
Sky News AU
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
'I don't think it's appropriate': Minns explains snub of Kathleen Folbigg despite her requests to meet with Premier
NSW Premier Chris Minns has revealed why he hasn't spoken to Kathleen Folbigg, despite her attempts to reach out to him over her attempt to obtain compensation for her wrongful conviction. Ms Folbigg was released from prison in 2023 when she was acquitted, after spending 20 years locked away for the deaths of her four children. According to the Daily Telegraph, Ms Folbigg has been unable to secure a meeting with Attorney-General Michael Daley, while the Premier's office has not responded to her several attempts to contact the state government. The Premier was grilled over why he had not responded to the 58-year-old during a press conference on Monday. "Look, I don't think it's appropriate that I meet her or her lawyers. They're in the process of demanding money from the New South Wales government. That's being independently assessed by the Attorney General. And I don't think it is appropriate that I have meetings before he makes a decision. I respect his call in relation to her commutation from several months ago, but he's got another decision to make," he said. "There's a lot of difficult calls for me to make as Premier. This isn't one of them. I think that given that there's a process that's been undertaken, we should let that take place before I insert myself in the middle of those negotiations." Mr Minns said Ms Folbigg was entitled to launch a legal action on her own, but given she was asking for an ex-gratia payment from the state government, it's a more "complex issue" and one that's "difficult" for the Attorney-General. "So, like every citizen in the state, she's entitled to take her matter to the courts and sue the NSW government, but this is a complex issue given she won't do that. "She's asked for an ex-gratia payment. Examples of that taking place outside of the negotiated civil court action (are rare) and as a result it's a difficult one for the Attorney-General to navigate. "It's unusual circumstances. He's got to make a decision about it, and I'm not going to insert myself in his deliberations, just as I didn't when he made the decision to commute those centres." The NSW government has also not given a timeline on the decision regarding compensation for Ms Folbigg. 'Despite repeated requests, I've received no substantive information – there is a pattern of avoidance that is becoming increasingly indefensible,' Ms Folbigg's lawyer Rhanee Rego told the masthead. 'Kathleen's case is one of the most significant wrongful convictions in recent Australian history. The fact that no one in government is willing to meet with her speaks volumes. 'She hasn't even been given the courtesy of knowing when this chapter of this life can be closed.' Ms Folbigg told the Daily Telegraph her life was "on hold" as she awaited the outcome of her compensation bid. "I'm not asking to be treated differently than anyone else who has been put through what I have,' she said. 'I just need this to be resolved so I can begin to rebuild and move forward.'
