The grandson of a Chinese merchant, innkeeper and opium dealer, Chien Ah Foo, Coghlan, the youngest of four, went to the local Catholic school and enrolled in medicine at university before jumping across to the law.
Far from being a regular at the Flower Drum, his family were given an extra rice coupon during rationing because of their heritage.
In 1969, he began practising law. His life in the law has taken him from the Deputy Crown Solicitors Office to the bar, from Director of Public Prosecutions to a Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria - and somewhere along the way he was also Mayor of Fitzroy!
As a Supreme Court judge for 15 years and the director of public prosecutions for seven before that, he has dealt with the dangerous, the deranged and the downright dastardly.
The process in those days was a touch more robust. There was no DNA, phone taps, CCTV or taped interviews. It was the day of the typed record of interview, where the accused would often claim confessions were fabricated. He never lost the common touch and was comfortable in the company of crooks, cops, lawyers and jurors.
In Victoria, we have had many underworld wars and rarely have there been successful prosecutions because of the so-called code of silence. For the first time, Coghlan facilitated a series of deals where killers were offered discounted sentences to give evidence against the syndicate bosses.
Beneficiaries included one of Carl Williams’ paid killers, who turned on him and was taken secretly to Ballarat to plead guilty to reduced murder charges in exchange for becoming a prosecution witness.
In one case, Coghlan recalls, when a detective was asked why it took two hours to take a three-page statement, he responded: “I’m a slow typer.”
He is both bemused and amused by how crooks who would have been better off keeping a low profile actively sought the headlines.
Justice Paul reminisced more about his time in Law recalling several cases he presided over and amusing moments in the courtroom. It was a very interesting talk and well received by those who attended.
Noe: Some of the copy above was derived from an interview with Justice Paul Coghlan and an Age newspaper reporter.
Diamond Valley Walking Group
The photo shows 27 of the 28 Diamond Valley Bushwalking Club walkers led by David Smyth last Wednesday at Sir John Monash’s 1912 water tank on the top of Gresswell Hill near Bundoora.
There are three Rotarians in the picture. Can you spot them?
Holloway Bend Scout Group
Have you seen the Holloway Bend Scout Group trailer out and about? A big belated congratulations to the Cubs who had
a Bayside District billy cart derby a few weeks ago
and took out 1st place!
The Rotary Club of Brighton are proud to have been able to support these young people get out and about with the trailer - sponsored with the support of a Rotary Foundation - Rotary District 9800 grant. As one of Scouts Victoria’s fastest growing scout groups they have needed this trailer so this Bayside group’s young people can make a difference, go on their adventures with the help of the dedicated volunteers and support their scouting experience.
Screening: Sunday 8th November at 5pm.
