What to do with a Diplomat who goes on a demolition Derby in Woden?

Report it it to DFAT (got the plate number?) and let them send a note to the Embassy involved.

Cobrico said :

On the road, we all know to give DC cars a very wide berth because of the high potential for arrogant driving.

Well, that used to be the case. While they haven’t improved at all, the percentage of regular ACT plated vehicles with a “high potential for arrogant driving” has now well and truly topped them.

Cobrico said :

Now that John Hargreaves has had time to cool off over fireworks, I wonder if we could fire him up to take on this case with the same vigor. Let’s face it — diplomatic immunity sucks. What about it JH?

It has nothing to do with the ACT government. It is because Australia is a signatory to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

And it is still very necessary and relevant. Not to protect foreign diplomats in Australia where we have a (basically) fair, just and transparent justice system, but to protect our diplomats from malicious prosecution, either criminal or civil, in other countries where the justice system may not be as unbiased as ours.

Unfortunately it is a two edged sword. If we expect our diplomats to be protected, then we have to protect theirs.

On the road, we all know to give DC cars a very wide berth because of the high potential for arrogant driving. Not sure how to police them in car parks though.

Now that John Hargreaves has had time to cool off over fireworks, I wonder if we could fire him up to take on this case with the same vigor. Let’s face it — diplomatic immunity sucks. What about it JH?

Saudi BILL rings more bells.

Diplomatic immunity cover any crime. If you doubt this then google PC Fletcher (I think that was her name). A you English police want shoot outside an embassy by on of the embassy staff. from memory the Head of Mission claimed the culprit was a cleaner, but he still ended up getting off scott-free. He just had to leave the UK.

For mine, the whole Diplomatic immunity thing is long past it’s review date. Representing your country overseas is a privilege not the be abused. It shouldn’t be seen as a right.

54-11 said :

Does anyone know the riddle of diplomatic number plates? The first numbers tell us which country they are from, but where do we find that out?

I don’t know the plate, but I do know the code….

54-11 said :

Does anyone know the riddle of diplomatic number plates? The first numbers tell us which country they are from, but where do we find that out?

I could be mistaken but I thought the numbers that identify the country corresponded with phone and mail country codes, some being 2 digit some being 3. UK is 44, Hong Kong is 852 etc. The following numbers perhaps identify which vehicle it is in a fleet of x amount. Just a theory.

Err yeah my 5yo already knows to be veeeery wary of the cars with blue and black number plates…

The immunity should work both ways

I’d never thought of it like this, but it makes perfect sense.

“Your steenking poleeth perthons, they cannot touch me!”
“Have it your way, mate.”
[enter angry mob stage left]
*THWACK THUD CRACK*
“Aaiieee! Poleeth! Be helping me!”
“Did you hear something, constable?”
“No sarge.”
“Neither did I.”

JC said :

Diplomatic immunity by all rights has to be asked for by the Government, it is not an automatic right.

That is not correct. The Diplomatic Privileges and Immunities Act 1967 and the Consular Privileges and Immunities Act 1972 makes immunity (as defined under the Vienna Conventions)automatic for all diplomats in Australia.

They cannot be prosecuted for anything and cannot be required to comply with any civil court order either, unless their home country expressly allows it. (and they never do)

The worst the Australian government can do is to expel them.

The only exception is if the foreign country does not extend the same privileges to our diplomats serving in their country.

I believe diplomatic immunity is claimed by the Head of Mission, who, we assume, has weighed up the consequences of so claiming.

However, perhaps the anonymity associated with these events should be removed, bringing public opinion to bear on the HoM.

I suppose if it was at the Hellenic Club, start with the Greek Embassy…

JC, that’s the problem. The embassy or consulate will not generally say who it was, and therefore any civil action is out of the question. And ratbag insurance companies will use that to slug the poor victims with excesses/loss of discounts, because the actual driver cannot be identified. NRMA (bastards) did that to me once.

Diplomats in our country are still subject to our laws etc. Diplomatic immunity by all rights has to be asked for by the Government, it is not an automatic right.

In this case I hope someone left his rego details and their names at whitnesses with the owners of the damaged cars, that way their insurance company can pursue the individual for the repair costs at least.

I figure you report it to the police, get a copy of the police report, and send it all off, with the rego of the offending vehicle to the insurance company.

That’s what they get paid to sort out. Fair? Probably not. But generally effective in resolving my problem.

The old diplomatic immunity.. hence why a large proportion of unpaid fines in the ACT are those incurred by diplomatic staff.

Having said that, with he details of the bastard diplomat insurance payout won’t be hard. But then with a registration and a witness it’s fairly easy to prove too.

Police can offer him a breath test, but if he refuses, cannot do anything. Police are not “scared” of Diplomats: just unable to do anything under law to prosecute them. I recall a hit and run years ago involving a drunken diplomat. He killed the person he ran into, and was never arrested or charged by Police. All they could do is inform protection intelligence of the occurance, who then informed his superiors of the events.

Fairly sure he lost his job over it, but never faced an Australian Court. :/ As bigfeet said: it is up to them whether they co-operate or not. Same with if we try to pull their cars over: their choice if they want to or not.

futto said :

The ONLY person who can solve this is Danny Glover.

with some help from Mel Gibson

(as long he can get time away from abusing jews, or having sex with Russian models)

The ONLY person who can solve this is Danny Glover.

Does anyone know the riddle of diplomatic number plates? The first numbers tell us which country they are from, but where do we find that out?

The immunity should work both ways and allow the owners of the cars to assault the diplomat or damage his employer’s vehicles (although the latter option isn’t very productive) without the risk of police inquiries.

From the DFAT website: A police officer may request the driver … to submit to a breath screening test. Drivers who can provide appropriate diplomatic identity may either accede to or refuse the police request. The Department asks that any person who enjoys diplomatic immunity cooperate.

Note the use of the terms “may” and “The Department asks”. That would tend to indicate that it is totally up to the diplomat whether he submits to a breath test or not. And if he is pissed, why would he go along with it when he doesn’t have to?

I thought they could be held accountable? It’s a grey area though. Good on the two public servants for trying to do something, and I hope they keep pushing it. Do they know which mission he was with?

Well as far as I know Diplomats can’t be charged due to some …………. So in my mind they are the worst drivers in Australia.

So the Police didn’t won’ to waste their time when nothing can be done.