Family Name:
Monaghan
Given Names:
David Anthony
Gender:
Male
Birth-Date:
1946
Death-Date:
Unknown
Marital Status:
Unknown, probably single
Age/ Age Range:
21 years old
Location:
VIC, Toorak
Occupation:
University Student
Primary Motivation:
Conscientious Objector-Vietnam War
Reason for Court/ Tribunal Appearance:
Application for full exemption from military service
Court/ Tribunal Name and Location:
Magistrates Court, Melbourne
Court/ Tribunal Hearing Date:
26 June 1967
Court/Tribunal Outcome:
Granted full exemption as a conscientious objector
Military Event:
National Service and Vietnam War 1964-1972
Further Information:
David Monaghan was a 21 -year-old from Toorak a suburb of Melbourne. He applied and was granted full exemption from military service as a conscientious objector. His hearing was at the Melbourne Magistrates Court on 26 June 1967 before Magistrate W Murray. David informed the court that he would be the first to enlist if Australia was attacked but he was against the Vietnam conflict. He said that from his studies of Vietnam western countries should not be involved there. He explained that he had studied the Vietnam war and the history of Vietnam at length and had kept a file of newspaper cuttings on Vietnam over the past three years. The Senior Lecturer in Political Science at Monash University, GC Duncan, told the court that Monaghan probably knew more about Vietnam than the average third-year political science student at the university. Duncan added, “His is not a mere emotional spasm”. Magistrate Murray in granting the application said he had no doubt that Monaghan had a conscientious belief against serving in the military forces at the present time. This decision went against precedent in the legal interpretation of s. 29A of the National Service Act 1964. It appeared to not allow conscientious to a particular war as grounds to be registered as a conscientious objector even though David was not a pacifist. Indeed, Monaghan outside the court said he believed his was the first case where a conscientious objector was exempted on political grounds.
Confirmatory Sources:Canberra Times, 30 June 1967, p.1.; 9 August 1967, p.8.; 6 September 1967, p..3.; 4 October p.4.; Tribune 26 July 1967, p.2.; Vivienne Abraham Documents, David Anthony Monaghan File
THE AUSTRALIAN PEACE HONOUR ROLL 