Prime Minister Tony Abbott is among the countless people who have demanded answers to the question of why Sydney siege gunman Man Haron Monis was allowed to freely live in the community through the provision of bail. In addition to the public outcry, the legal professionals involved with Mr Monis' cases, including a magistrate, have received personal attacks and even death threats.
The media reported on the communications received by those who made the legal decisions that permitted Mr Monis to walk free on bail on Friday, and those involved are taking them seriously and are very concerned. Adding to the distressing course of events is the fact that one of the hostages that was killed on Tuesday morning was barrister Katrina Dawson.
NSW Bar Association President, Jane Needham SC, spoke to the media on behalf of her colleagues, and made clear the impact of Ms Dawson's death upon Sydney's legal sector:
"There is a lot of distress. The Lindt cafe was a centre of people's lives here [NSW Bar Association] and there is a real feeling additional to the grief and shock and fear of it could have been anyone".
Earlier in the week, Ms Needham spoke of Ms Dawson's position among her fellow professionals: "Katrina was one of our best and brightest barristers who will be greatly missed by her colleagues and friends of the NSW Bar".
The Association's president has indicated understanding for the reactions that the siege has invoked, but respectfully deemed the threats and attacks as "wrong-headed". Ms Needham explained that magistrates and lawyers are required to make "very difficult" and "complex" decisions, while barristers are ethically obliged to represent whoever seeks their services as part of the "cab-rank rule".
In addition to acknowledging that lawyers have a job to do, Ms Needham strongly recommended that the public "support the judiciary and look at the wider system of the granting of bail at a time when all of the information is in."