Family Name:
Couch
Given Names:
James Martin (Jim)
Gender:
Male
Birth-date:
Unknown, possibly 1952
Death-date:
Unknown
Marital Status:
Unknown, probably single
Age Range:
Early 20s
Location:
NSW, Lane Cove
Occupation:
Unknown
Primary Motivation:
Draft Resister
Reason for Court Appearance:
NA
Court Name and Location:
NA
Court Hearing Date:
NA
Court Outcome:
NA
Military Event:
National Service and Vietnam War 1964-1972
Further Information:
Jim Couch was from New South Wales. He opposed the National Service Act 1964 (NSA). Accordingly, he refused to register for national service. He was active in protests and demonstrations in support of the repeal of the NSA. On 13 June 1972 he was fined $200 in the Special Federal Court, Sydney. This was an offence, which he pleaded guilty to, of driving a car on to the front lawn of Sydney University. It was the occasion on 24 April when fellow draft resister Michael Matteson had been cut free from handcuffs by students. It was unlikely that Jim was prosecuted under the NSA. The government during 1971, and especially 1972, were reluctant to prosecute when the result would be jailing a young man. This was particularly in regard to a refusal to obey a call-up notice. This attracted 18 months’ imprisonment. The government aimed to minimize its political risk of having large numbers of young men in prison. All pending prosecutions under the NSA were stopped by the newly elected Whitlam Labor government in early December 1972.
Confirmatory Sources:
Tharunka, 18 October 1972p.6.
Canberra Times, 14 June 1972, p.3.
THE AUSTRALIAN PEACE HONOUR ROLL 