A Legal Trauma, a Public Trauma: Lindy Chamberlain and the Chamberlain Case

Abstract

The Chamberlain murder trial or ‘dingo case’ polarised the Australian community – the miscarriage of justice, the relentless media scrutiny and the mediaeval-style public condemnation of Lindy Chamberlain all exposed the prejudices of mainstream Australia. At the same time, Lindy Chamberlain experienced a groundswell of public support: the case was publicised around the world and generated local protest groups. This paper is concerned with re-thinking the historical effects of that case, and is theoretically informed by contemporary debates on the violence of the law, formations of public culture, and cultural trauma.

Citation

Staines, D. (2006), "A Legal Trauma, a Public Trauma: Lindy Chamberlain and the Chamberlain Case", Sarat, A. (Ed.) Studies in Law, Politics and Society (Studies in Law, Politics, and Society, Vol. 38), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 153-172. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1059-4337(05)38005-7