Today, the 9th of Feb 2015, Dr John Lowndes, Chief Magistrate of the NT, sentenced a man, Shawn Macey, to 14 days in gaol for three counts of sexual assault.

This is an outrageous betrayal of the trust that a magistrate has with the citizens of their nation, a ridiculous thumbing of his nose at the victims and a glorious triumph for men who believe they can treat women with disrespect and violence.

In his judgement, Dr Lowndes refers to Shawn Macey's military service, but he ignores the fact that by dint of working with him, the victims were also either in the military or serving in another capacity. Dr Lowndes gave no merit to the service of these three victims. Neither did he remark upon the fact that one of the victims was pregnant, one of our most vulnerable members of society. Dr Lowndes, we give up a seat on the bus to a pregnant woman, but you won't give one justice.

Dr Lowndes has failed in his duty, as Shawn Macey failed in his, but the difference is, here there is a chance to fix the error. Give Shawn Macey the sentence he deserves, and send a clear message to all those who operate in positions of responsibility, that you either treat women with respect, or you serve a real sentence. Today is a low point for justice in Australia in general and the Northern Territory in particular but it does not have to remain that way.

To Dr Lowndes, the Chief Minister and the Attorney General: Weak and pointless sentencing is one of many things that we the public will not stand for. If you won't take appropriate action, then we will, and we will commence it at the ballot box. If you doubt the people of Australia, or think that we have a short memory, I suggest you ask Campbell Newman what his job prospects look like.