Pat O'Shane

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Pat O'Shane was born in Mossman in the State of Queensland, Australia, in 1941 to a father of Irish descent and an Aboriginal mother. She later moved to the State of New South Wales and after a career as a teacher, was admitted to the New South Wales bar in 1976. She then served as the head of the New South Wales Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs. In 1986 she was appointed as a magistrate for the State of New South Wales.

In 1993, O'Shane was named Chancellor of the University of New England in Armidale. She served in this post until 2003.

In 2005 she won a defamation suit against The Sydney Morning Herald and was awarded several hundred thousand dollars in compensation. She currently resides in Sydney.

Often a controversial magistrate for her decisions such as her scathing criticism of police in the prosecution of Michael Kanaan who was given three life sentences for the murder of his gang boss, Danny Karam, and for the cold-blooded killing of Michael Hurle and Adam Wright, innocent strangers who gave him lip outside a pub in Five Dock. Another controversial issue was the alleged bias against women who have been sexually assaulted (see The Hon. Elaine Nile's parliamentary public comments) after she told the ABC, "I can tell you on the basis of my experience that a lot of women manufacture a lot of stories against men." (Comments on sexual assault) Pat O Shane was defending Aboriginal leader Geoff Clark from allegations of rape.

Her immoderate use of her magistral powers has now come under official notice.

Magistrate Pat O'Shane is facing the most serious challenge to her future on the bench after she had a man appearing before her in a civil case locked up in the cells. The NSW Judicial Commission has ruled the complaint is serious enough to take the rare step of referring Ms O'Shane to its conduct division.... Ms O'Shane is being investigated for her actions in the case of Paul Makucha, described by the Court of Appeal as "wholly inappropriate".... At the second hearing, Mr Makucha represented himself and sought to have Ms O'Shane removed on the basis she was biased.... Ms O'Shane pressed on with the case despite Mr Makucha arguing he was being denied natural justice... She called the sheriff's officers and had Mr Makucha locked up in the cells at Downing Centre, citing contempt of court, heard the case in his absence, and found against him.

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