Heffey & Butler

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Agent TypeOrganisationIdentifierUMA-AG-000001516Activities & OccupationsLawyersHistoryGerard Heffey and Thomas Butler were over many years prominent in Catholic lay activities, notably the Campion Society and, in Butler's case, The Catholic Worker. After the A.L.P. split of 1955, both became critical of the role of the National Civic Council in Australian politics. Their law firm acted for Robert Peter Tait in the early 1960's in his appeal for a stay of execution on grounds of insanity. Tait had been convicted in 1961 for the murder of a woman and sentenced to death. Debate raged in Parliament and the press about capital punishment and Tait's state of mind at the time of his offence. The State Government argued vigorously for Tait's hanging and several dates were set for the execution. On 5 December 1962, the death sentence was commuted after certificates had shown Tait's mental health to be impaired. He was sent to jail with his papers marked "never to be released" and would die in 1984 as Victoria's longest serving prisoner. Thomas Butler died in January 2005; Gerard Heffey died in October 2005.

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University of Melbourne Archives

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Heffey & Butler