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Irregular News for 07.25.06
New Zealand -- A high-profile lawyer has taken to wearing women's clothing in what he says is a gender-bending protest against the male-dominated corruption of New Zealand's judicial system.
Rob Moodie, 67, a former representative rugby player and Police Association secretary, turned heads at the High Court in Wellington yesterday when he arrived for a hearing dressed in a skirt and carrying a handbag.
Dr Moodie, a married father of three, says his behaviour is not a publicity stunt. He is heterosexual but has a "strong female gender bias" and had always preferred women's clothes.
Though he had "sired" three children, he said he was born with an innate understanding of the female sex and would now be expressing it through his dress.
Dr Moodie arrived at court yesterday wearing a navy blue two-piece suit, with ankle-length skirt, patterned blouse and a diamond-studded brooch. He lifted his skirt to reveal dainty lace-gartered stockings covering his hairy legs.
The outfit, one of several he has had made or bought in recent months, was worn to highlight what he called "the male ethos" and "old boys' network" pervading the judiciary.
Dr Moodie said he had worn women's clothing in the past while working as the Police Association secretary.
His frustration at the long-running saga of the Berryman bridge case had prompted his decision to resume wearing women's clothes to court. The "last straw" was a Court of Appeal decision this month ordering the Berrymans to pay $10,000 costs to the army.
He has acted for former King Country farmers Keith and Margaret Berryman in their fight to clear their names over an army-built bridge collapse in 1994 that killed beekeeper Ken Richards.
He had no intention of shaving off his trademark moustache and was still grappling with which toilet to use at court.
"I call it a flash of lace at the urinal."
Dr Moodie was in court for a preliminary hearing on contempt charges brought against him by the solicitor-general for posting a suppressed report on the Internet.
He claims it proves the Defence Force was responsible for Mr Richards' death when the bridge collapsed and his truck fell 30 metres into a river.
Dr Moodie alleges the judiciary is "enmeshed" in a cover-up to protect the army. If the court won't refer to him as Dr Moodie, he has asked to be called "Ms Alice". "It's just a name I like."
He was having a new dress made for next month's contempt hearing, when he hoped to have the charges struck out.
"I will now, as a lawyer, be wearing women's clothing. The deeper the cover-up, the prettier the frocks.
"I prefer and relate to the gender which is involved in the creation and nurturing of life; giving, sharing and also, I believe, fairness.
"My confidence in the male ethos is zilch. It's a culture of intimidation, authority, power and control."
Dr Moodie said the judiciary's handling of the Berryman case "caused me to reflect on what it means to be a male in this country. I've decided I don't actually want to be part of that ethos".
Dr Moodie said his decision had the support of his wife and children. He did not think his new look would put off prospective clients and rejected any suggestion that his transformation was brought on by stress from the contempt proceedings, or the death of his two sisters during the past six weeks.
"People take me on because I'm a fighter. I think people find it refreshing to see somebody doing something a little bit different. The one I enjoy is the little kiddies saying, `Look Mummy, it's a boy-girl.' I think that's priceless."
But his main motivation was to highlight the injustice suffered by the Berrymans and the judiciary's inability to address it, he said.
"Two people's lives have been ruined. I will not let this issue go."
source
New Zealand -- A high-profile lawyer has taken to wearing women's clothing in what he says is a gender-bending protest against the male-dominated corruption of New Zealand's judicial system.
Rob Moodie, 67, a former representative rugby player and Police Association secretary, turned heads at the High Court in Wellington yesterday when he arrived for a hearing dressed in a skirt and carrying a handbag.
Dr Moodie, a married father of three, says his behaviour is not a publicity stunt. He is heterosexual but has a "strong female gender bias" and had always preferred women's clothes.
Though he had "sired" three children, he said he was born with an innate understanding of the female sex and would now be expressing it through his dress.
Dr Moodie arrived at court yesterday wearing a navy blue two-piece suit, with ankle-length skirt, patterned blouse and a diamond-studded brooch. He lifted his skirt to reveal dainty lace-gartered stockings covering his hairy legs.
The outfit, one of several he has had made or bought in recent months, was worn to highlight what he called "the male ethos" and "old boys' network" pervading the judiciary.
Dr Moodie said he had worn women's clothing in the past while working as the Police Association secretary.
His frustration at the long-running saga of the Berryman bridge case had prompted his decision to resume wearing women's clothes to court. The "last straw" was a Court of Appeal decision this month ordering the Berrymans to pay $10,000 costs to the army.
He has acted for former King Country farmers Keith and Margaret Berryman in their fight to clear their names over an army-built bridge collapse in 1994 that killed beekeeper Ken Richards.
He had no intention of shaving off his trademark moustache and was still grappling with which toilet to use at court.
"I call it a flash of lace at the urinal."
Dr Moodie was in court for a preliminary hearing on contempt charges brought against him by the solicitor-general for posting a suppressed report on the Internet.
He claims it proves the Defence Force was responsible for Mr Richards' death when the bridge collapsed and his truck fell 30 metres into a river.
Dr Moodie alleges the judiciary is "enmeshed" in a cover-up to protect the army. If the court won't refer to him as Dr Moodie, he has asked to be called "Ms Alice". "It's just a name I like."
He was having a new dress made for next month's contempt hearing, when he hoped to have the charges struck out.
"I will now, as a lawyer, be wearing women's clothing. The deeper the cover-up, the prettier the frocks.
"I prefer and relate to the gender which is involved in the creation and nurturing of life; giving, sharing and also, I believe, fairness.
"My confidence in the male ethos is zilch. It's a culture of intimidation, authority, power and control."
Dr Moodie said the judiciary's handling of the Berryman case "caused me to reflect on what it means to be a male in this country. I've decided I don't actually want to be part of that ethos".
Dr Moodie said his decision had the support of his wife and children. He did not think his new look would put off prospective clients and rejected any suggestion that his transformation was brought on by stress from the contempt proceedings, or the death of his two sisters during the past six weeks.
"People take me on because I'm a fighter. I think people find it refreshing to see somebody doing something a little bit different. The one I enjoy is the little kiddies saying, `Look Mummy, it's a boy-girl.' I think that's priceless."
But his main motivation was to highlight the injustice suffered by the Berrymans and the judiciary's inability to address it, he said.
"Two people's lives have been ruined. I will not let this issue go."
source
