TAYLOR, Michael Zane

Family Name:

Taylor

Given Names:

Michael Zane

Gender:

Male

Birth-Date:

1947

Death-Date:

Unknown

Marital Status:

Unknown, probably single

Age/ Age Range:

20 years old

Location:

TAS, Burnie

Occupation:

Cadet Laboratory Assistant

Primary Motivation:

Conscientious Objector

Reason for Court/ Tribunal Appearance:

[1] Application or full exemption from military service
[2] Appealed decision to not be granted full exemption
[3] Second application for full exemption from military service
[4] Appealed decision to grant exemption from combatant duties only

Court/ Tribunal Name and Location:

[1] Court of Petty Sessions, Burnie
[2 Supreme Court, Tasmania
[3] Court of Petty Sessions, Burnie
[4] Supreme Court, Tasmania

Court/ Tribunal Hearing Date:

[1] 29 September 1967
[2] December 1967
[3] 5 February 1968
[4] 1968

Court/Tribunal Outcome:

[1] Application for full exemption was dismissed
[2] Granted exemption from combatant duties
[3] Exemption from combatant duties confirmed
[4] Reserved decision of 9 May 1968 to dismiss the appeal

Military Event:

National Service and Vietnam War 1964-1972

Further Information:

Michael Taylor was a 20-year-old from Burnie in Tasmania. He applied for full exemption from military service during 1967 which was dismissed by Magistrate J Temple-Smith at the Court of Petty Sessions in Burnie on 29 September 1967. He appealed the decision to the Supreme Court of Tasmania. At the December hearing the appeal judge Justice Crisp granted him exemption from combatant duties only. Michael made a second application for full exemption from military duties. His call-up notice was suspended whilst the second application was heard. The hearing was at the Court of Petty Sessions in Burnie and heard by Magistrate PG Crisp on 21 January and 1 February 1968. Magistrate delivered his reserved judgement on 5 February 1968 and stated he was, “totally unpersuaded that the applicant held any belief different from that established …in December 1967”. The decision from the first application hearing was upheld by the magistrate after many hours of cross-examination.
Michael made a second appeal to the Supreme Court of Tasmania. K Gifford QC from Melbourne and PW Slicer appeared for Michael. CJ O’Sullivan appeared for the Minister of Labour and National Service. After legal submissions lasting nearly 3 hours on 26 March 1968 Justice Crawford ruled that the appeal should be a full re-hearing. An adjournment was granted on 28 March to enable the Deputy Crown Solicitor to obtain army orders regarding non-combatant duties. Resuming on 10 April 1968 Michael was called to the witness stand for 4 hours and for most of the following morning. He was cross-examined both on his present views and what he had said at previous hearings. Justice Crawford dismissed the appeal on 9 May 1968. Following the dismissal Michael was served with a call-up notice to present for conscripted military service which he had failed to do by late June 1968. It is unknown what happened after that time.

Confirmatory Sources:Peacemaker, October/ November 1967, p.3.; February/ March 1968, p.3.; May/ June 1968, p.3.