17 June 2009 - The Queensland Court of Appeal today set-aside the coronial findings made by Acting Statue Coroner Christine Clements on 27 September 2007 following a lengthy Coronial inquest into the death of Aboriginal man Mulrunji Doomadgee. Mr Doomadgee died whilst in Police Custody on Palm Island on 19 November 2004. The death sparked a public protest, later dubbed the “Palm Island Riots”.  Amongst those findings set aside are findings by Coroner Clements that Queensland Police Senior Sergeant Christopher Hurley had caused the death of Mr Doomadgee by actions which included hitting him whilst he was on the floor, saying as he did "Do you want more Mr Doomadgee, do you want more?"  The Court ordered that a new coronial inquest be conducted into the death. Read an article on the decision by Foundation Director and Journalist Chris Graham here. Read the decision of the Court of Criminal Appeal here.

3 July 2009 - The Townsville Magistrates Court handed down its Judgment yesterday acquitting Lex Patrick Wotton of a charge of common Assault. A further charge of Operating a Motor Vehicle Dangerously had been dismissed during the hearing in June this year. The charges were preferred against Mr Wotton last year, whilst he was awaiting trial on charges arising from the protest on Palm Island against the death in police custody of Mulrunji Doomadgee. 

In acquitting Mr Wotton, the Court found the Police Informant in the matter to be an incredible witness, expressing a sceptism about the existence of photographs that police had alleged had been taken but could not be reproduced due to a "processing error".