Family Name:
Campbell
Given Names:
Christopher Richard Paul
Gender:
Male
Birth-Date:
31 January 1947
Marital Status:
Unknown, probably single
Age:
21 years old
Location:
NSW
Occupation:
Unknown
Primary Motivation:
Draft Resister-Anti-conscription
Reason for Court Appearance:
[1] Arrested at an LBJ demonstration
[2]Refusal to register under the National Service Act 1964
[3] Refusal to register under the National Service Act 1964
Court Name and Location:
[1] Philip House Court of Petty Sessions, Sydney
[2] Philip House Cour of Petty Sessions, Sydney
[3] Philip House Court of Petty sessions, Sydney
Court Hearing Date:
[1] 22 October 1966
[2] 26 February 1968
[3] 12 March 1968
Court Hearing Outcome:
[1] Discharged
[2] Adjourned prosecution until 12 March 1968
[3] Fined $20 plus $2 court costs plus $20 plus Commonwealth legal costs or 21 days imprisonment in lieu of payment
Military Event:
National Service and Vietnam War 1964-1972
Further Information:
Christopher Campbell was the first person to undertake non-violent action against the National Service Act 1964 (NSA). Prior to his registration under the Act he had been arrested on 22 October 1966, at a demonstration against the visit to Australia of the American president Lyndon Barnes Johnston (LBJ). He was discharged by the magistrate at the court hearing. He was obliged to register for national service during February 1967.He wrote to Minister Bury, 26 February 1967, informing him of his refusal to register under the Act based on his conscientious objection to conscription. He believed the Act to be immoral and stated he could not comply with any aspect of it. Christopher was a British citizen who was born in the United Kingdom 31 January 1947. He sought help from Vivienne Abraham publisher of the Peacemaker. She recognised his stance of non-compliance as something new and commented, Christopher Campbell is saying something different. He…does not believe that anyone should be obliged to cooperate with an Act of Parliament whose purpose is to force citizens to participate in what he, and many others, regard as immoral – war and the preparation of war. He was probably the first to publicly inform the minister of his non-compliance with the NSA.
At a court hearing on 26 February Christopher was in the court room in the public gallery. He refused to acknowledge the court and quietly called out that the defendant (himself) would not appear at court. This amounted to contempt of court and lay him open to penalties. He informed Minister Bury of what he intended to do prior to his court hearing. His case was adjourned adjourned until 12 March 1968. Because no action was taken by the court on 26 February 1968. Christopher brought forth his sailing date to return to the United Kingdom to 3 March. The Minister was aware that this is what he intended but no action was taken to prevent this occurring. Instead, unexpectantly the authorities returned his passport. On 5 March 1968 Christopher wrote to Magistrate Rogers that no disrespect was intended for the officers of the court as persons and that he had sailed for home 3 March instead of 18 April as originally planned. He stated that he would leave to others the task of urging the repeal of the National Service Act. The postscript to his case was that he was fined $20 in his absence for his refusal to register for national service.
Confirmatory Sources:
Peacemaker, March 1967, p.1; April 1968. P.1; January/ February 1969, p.6; November/ December 1969, p.8; August/ September 1970, p.6.
Bobbie Oliver, Hell No! We Won’t Go: Resistance to Conscription in Postwar Australia, Interventions, Melbourne, 2022, esp. pp.87-89.
Christopher Campbell File, Vivienne Abraham Papers.
THE AUSTRALIAN PEACE HONOUR ROLL 