Lawyer's letter 'amounted to extortion attempt', says judge

A lawyer's letter to a man accused of sexual abuse asking him to pay $50,000 in compensation amounted to an extortion attempt, a High Court judge said.

The letter asked the man for $25,000 each for the two alleged victims and said if he did not pay, legal proceedings would be started.

Justice Ron Young said the letter "amounted to an attempt at extortion", says the Law Society magazine Law Talk.

"It is difficult to resist the conclusion that [the complainants], by their solicitor, sought the payment of money and they reinforced this request with an implied threat to have [the accused] prosecuted if he did not pay ...

"It follows that [the accused] has been a victim of an attempt at blackmail."