DONOUGHUE, Peter

Family Name:

Donoughue

Given Names:

Peter

Gender:

Male

Birth-date:

Unknown, possibly 1951

Death-date:

Unknown

Marital Status:

Unknown. probably single

Age Range:

Early 20s

Location:

NSW

Occupation:

University Student

Primary Motivation:

Draft Resister, anti-conscription

Reason for Court Appearance:

Refused to enter a recognizance to attend a future medical examination

Court Name and Location:

Special Federal Court, Sydney

Court Hearing Date:

2 October 1972

Court Outcome:

Convicted and sentenced to 7 days jail

Military Event:

National Service and Vietnam War 1964-1972

Further Information:

Peter Donoughe was from New South Wales and a Sydney university student. He was opposed to the National Service Act 1964 (NSA) and worked for its repeal. He was among a large number of young men from New South Wales and the rest of Australia who refused to comply with the NSA, which was publicly acknowledged, and they challenged the government to jail them. They sought to highlight the practice of the government to selectively arrest and jail those men who had a high profile. This was motivated as an attempt to minimize political embarrassment of jailing large numbers of conscripted young men.

Peter refused to register for national service. He refused to attend the mandatory medical examination and he refused to obey a call-up notice. On 2 October 1972 Peter attended a Special Federal Court hearing presided over by Magistrate Anable, for his failure to attend the medical. At court Peter refused to enter a recognizance to attend a future medical examination. The magistrate convicted and sentenced him to the mandatory 7 days jail. He was incarcerated at Long Bay Prison, New South Wales. He had an adjoining cell to Chris Brooks, another draft resister, who had been incarcerated two days earlier. They both did the same work, mainly washing up. Neither had to shave their beards or have a haircut as was usually the case. Whilst in prison Peter and Chris were given a call-up notice by a Commonwealth Policeman for 3 October 1972. They both refused to obey the call-up notice and are now liable for the mandatory 18 months jail under the NSA.

Confirmatory Sources:

Tharunka, 12 September 1972, p.11; 12 September 1972, p.12; 3 October 1972, p.6; 18 October 1972, p.6.