Latest news with #Roberts
Straits Times
17 minutes ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
US Supreme Court upholds law allowing Palestinian authorities to be sued over attacks
FILE PHOTO: The U.S. Supreme Court building is seen the morning before justices are expected to issue opinions in pending cases, in Washington, U.S., June 14, 2024. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo WASHINGTON - The U.S. Supreme Court upheld on Friday a statute passed by Congress to facilitate lawsuits against Palestinian authorities by Americans killed or injured in attacks abroad as plaintiffs pursue monetary damages for violence years ago in Israel and the West Bank. The 9-0 ruling overturned a lower court's decision that the 2019 law, the Promoting Security and Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act, violated the rights of the Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organization to due process under the U.S. Constitution. Conservative Chief Justice John Roberts, who authored the ruling, said the 2019 jurisdictional law comported with due process rights enshrined in the Constitution's Fifth Amendment. "It is permissible for the federal government to craft a narrow jurisdictional provision that ensures, as part of a broader foreign policy agenda, that Americans injured or killed by acts of terror have an adequate forum in which to vindicate their right" to compensation under a federal law known as the Antiterrorism Act of 1990, Roberts wrote. The U.S. government and a group of American victims and their families had appealed the lower court's decision that struck down a provision of the law. Among the plaintiffs are families who in 2015 won a $655 million judgment in a civil case alleging that the Palestinian organizations were responsible for a series of shootings and bombings around Jerusalem from 2002 to 2004. They also include relatives of Ari Fuld, a Jewish settler in the Israel-occupied West Bank who was fatally stabbed by a Palestinian in 2018. "The plaintiffs, U.S. families who had loved ones maimed or murdered in PLO-sponsored terror attacks, have been waiting for justice for many years," said Kent Yalowitz, a lawyer for the plaintiffs. "I am very hopeful that the case will soon be resolved without subjecting these families to further protracted and unnecessary litigation," Yalowitz added. The ongoing violence involving Israel and the Palestinians served as a backdrop to the case. U.S. courts for years have grappled over whether they have jurisdiction in cases involving the Palestinian Authority and PLO for actions taken abroad. Under the language at issue in the 2019 law, the PLO and Palestinian Authority automatically "consent" to jurisdiction if they conduct certain activities in the United States or make payments to people who attack Americans. Roberts in Friday's ruling wrote that Congress and the president enacted the jurisdictional law based on their "considered judgment to subject the PLO and PA (Palestinian Authority) to liability in U.S. courts as part of a comprehensive legal response to 'halt, deter and disrupt' acts of international terrorism that threaten the life and limb of American citizens." New York-based U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman ruled in 2022 that the law violated the due process rights of the PLO and Palestinian Authority. The New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that ruling. President Joe Biden's administration initiated the government's appeal, which subsequently was taken up by President Donald Trump's administration. The Supreme Court heard arguments in the case on April 1. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
USA Today
2 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Dodgers, Padres take turns drilling each others' stars as Ohtani gets hit
Dodgers, Padres take turns drilling each others' stars as Ohtani gets hit Show Caption Hide Caption Shohei Ohtani pitches first game in nearly two years USAT's Jordan Mendoza shares what the atmosphere was like at Dodger Stadium as Shohei Ohtani took the mound for the first time since August 2023. Sports Pulse To say that the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres don't like each other would certainly be the understatement of the year, and on Thursday, June 20, the rivalry turned into a game of who can bean each other the hardest. In the ninth inning of San Diego's 5-3 victory over Los Angeles, Fernando Tatis Jr. was drilled in the right hand by Dodgers right-hander Jack Little, the third time in seven games against the Dodgers that he has been hit. Tatis' status for this weekend's series against the Kansas City Royals is unknown. That led to the yell fest that got Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and Padres manager Mike Shildt both tossed from the game after Roberts shoved Shildt. Players from both teams came onto the field at Dodger Stadium, although no punches were thrown. Shohei Ohtani was then hit with a 100 mph fastball in the right shoulder in the bottom of the ninth from reliever Robert Suarez. A total of eight batters were hit in the four-game series. 'Well, I think he knew it was intentional,' Roberts said after the game. 'He wasn't hurt by it, and he didn't want any more drama, which I respect that a lot.' 'Whether it was (intentional) or it wasn't, enough is enough,' Shildt said. 'We got a guy who's getting X-rays right now, is one of the best players in the game, fortunately he's on our team, and this guy has taken shots, OK?' The teams have a couple months before their next meeting with a three-game set for Aug. 15-17 in Los Angeles and the next weekend another three-game series in San Diego. The Padres are five games back of the Dodgers in the NL West.
NBC Sports
4 hours ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Dodgers, Padres take NL West rivalry to boiling point
The Dan Patrick Show crew discusses defining a "dynasty" in sports, examining how championships, consecutive playoff appearances, roster construction and the team's vibe all contribute to creating dynasties. LOS ANGELES (AP) — It took seven games over 11 days for the simmer to reach full boil. The Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres flashed playoff intensity in their long-awaited first two series of the season and went face-to-face, quite literally, after 10 batters were hit during a stretch the Dodgers owned on the scoreboard. In winning five of the seven games, the Dodgers also hit Fernando Tatis Jr. with pitches three times. The last of those came in the eighth inning of Thursday's 5-3 Padres victory when the benches finally cleared after Tatis was hit near the right hand. While the staredown behind home plate was more peacock feathers than fisticuffs, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and Padres manager Mike Shildt were ejected following a tense back-and-forth exchange. Afterward, the Padres' Manny Machado said his true feelings won't be known until Tatis gets results from X-rays and a CT scan. 'They gotta pray for (results) to come back negative tomorrow,' Machado said. 'They should. Us, too, but they should for sure.' After Tatis was hit, the Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani took a pitch to the back of his right (pitching) shoulder from Robert Suarez. With Dodgers players starting to move over the dugout railing, Ohtani waved back his teammates and took first base. 'Well, I think he knew it was intentional,' Roberts said. 'He wasn't hurt by it, and he didn't want any more drama, which I respect that a lot.' Ohtani was hit twice in the series, each a half inning after Tatis was hit. The Dodgers' Andy Pages also was hit twice in the series. Roberts said he hoped Tatis does not miss extended time. 'I didn't feel good about Tatis — great player, good guy — getting hit,' Roberts said. 'I didn't feel good about it. And so as (Shildt) comes out, and he's yelling at me and staring me down, that bothers me. Because, to be quite frank, that's the last thing I wanted.' Shildt said he has respect for the Dodgers but seeing Tatis get hit three times by their pitchers in less than two weeks doesn't sit right. He has also been hit by the Dodgers six times in his career, the most by any club. 'Whether it was (intentional) or it wasn't, enough is enough,' Shildt said. 'We got a guy who's getting X-rays right now, is one of the best players in the game, fortunately he's on our team, and this guy has taken shots, OK?' While the teams waited more than two months to face each other for the first time this season, there will be another two-month wait until they face off again Aug. 15-17 at Los Angeles and Aug. 22-24 at San Diego. 'It's going to be a fun ride,' Machado said. 'This division's freaking awesome, and it's going to be a fun ride going down the road. The Giants got better with (Rafael) Devers, and we know what these guys have on the other side. And what we have on this side. And obviously you can't count out Arizona. They've got a really good team over there. They're going to be battling. It's a four-headed monster battling it out, so it'll be an interesting second half.'
Los Angeles Times
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
The Sports Report: Dodgers-Padres series reaches contentious conclusion
From Jack Harris: Seven times in the last 10 days, the Dodgers and San Diego Padres have renewed their steadily intensifying divisional rivalry. And in the last inning of the last one of those games Thursday night, the mounting tensions between the clubs — and their respective managers — finally ignited into a benches-clearing confrontation. At the end of the Padres' 5-3 win against the Dodgers, San Diego star Fernando Tatis Jr. was hit by a Dodgers pitcher for the third time over the two recent series between the National League West foes, and a career-high sixth time by the team in his six years in the majors. Moments later, Dave Roberts and Mike Shildt were face-to-face on the field, engaged in a shouting match that caused both benches to empty in a heated melee behind home plate. 'I felt that he was trying to make it personal with me,' Roberts said of Shildt. 'Which then, I take it personal.' Indeed, as soon as Tatis got plunked on the hand by a 93-mph fastball from debuting Dodgers rookie Jack Little, Shildt came storming out of the dugout, walking over to check on Tatis while barking in Roberts' direction. Whatever Shildt said, Roberts took exception. Suddenly, he was charging onto the field, bumping into Shildt as the two jawed back and forth and their two teams swarmed around them. Continue reading here Federal agents denied entry to Dodger Stadium parking lot, sparking new outrage over Trump sweeps When Dodger baseball meets L.A. reality | Dodgers Debate Shaikin: Why is Dodger Stadium SO LOUD? Dodgers box score MLB scores MLB standings Trent Grisham and Paul Goldschmidt hit consecutive homers in the second inning, and the New York Yankees beat the Angels 7-3 on Thursday to halt their six-game skid. Carlos Rodón (9-5) allowed a season-high three homers but held the Angels to four hits in six innings to bounce back from two rocky outings against the Red Sox. The left-hander struck out seven and walked one on an 89-degree afternoon. The AL East-leading Yankees stopped their longest losing streak since a nine-game slide in August 2023. New York also avoided its second four-game sweep at the current Yankee Stadium and first since September 2021 against Toronto. Continue reading here Angels box score MLB scores MLB standings From Gary Klein: From the moment the Rams landed in Maui, Puka Nacua embraced the spotlight and provided sunshine vibes. The star receiver, with several colorful leis draping his shoulders, turned heads upon arrival at a Monday night luau. The next morning, flag football players excitedly buzzed 'It's Puka!' as he entered War Memorial Stadium for a Rams workout and clinic. That afternoon, autograph seekers lined up 100-deep for an exclusive afternoon Puka-centric event at a team pop-up store. On Wednesday, several thousands of fans showed up to see the Rams' public workout, dozens of them wearing Nacua jerseys. Nacua, who is of Hawaiian, Samoan and Portuguese descent, welcomed the attention with open arms. Continue reading here From Kevin Baxter: The FIFA Club World Cup is just six days old, but it has already provided a mixed bag of memorable experiences for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, whose trip to Southern California with Paris Saint-Germain marked his first visit to the U.S. 'I was in shock,' the veteran winger said. 'It's very beautiful here. I like it very much. One day we [went] bowling. And played mini golf. I was thinking when I finish football, to come to live.' Then there's the soccer, where not all the memories have been good ones. After contributing two assists to a win in PSG's tournament opener, Kvaratskhelia was unable to get any of his game-high five shots past goalkeeper John Victor in Thursday's 1-0 loss to Brazilian club Botafogo before an announced crowd of 53,699 at the Rose Bowl. The upset, the tournament's most shocking result so far, snapped PSG's win streak at six games in all competition, marked the first time it has been held scoreless since March 5 and leaves in doubt the team's spot in the second round. Botafogo (2-0) leads the four-team group with PSG and Atlético Madrid (both 1-1) tied for second with a game remaining. With just two teams moving on, PSG will need a victory over the Sounders on Monday in Seattle to advance. Continue reading here Juventus players befuddled by visit with Trump at White House: 'I just want to play football, man' From Jack Harris: The Lakers are getting a new owner. And in Los Angeles, he's already a familiar name. Thirteen years after buying the Dodgers and transforming the team into a juggernaut in Major League Baseball, billionaire businessman Mark Walter is in line to become the new majority owner of the Lakers. Suddenly, the once anonymous Chicago-based investment manager is about to have both of the Southland's most prominent professional sports teams in his portfolio. For Lakers fans, Walter's arrival will mark a massive shift following decades of family ownership of the team by the Buss family. But, they won't have to look far to find examples of how Walter has operated another iconic Los Angeles sports brand. 'He's really committed to the city of Los Angeles in various ways,' Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday, after the stunning news of Walter's impending purchase of the Lakers first emerged. 'He's going to do everything he can to produce a championship-caliber team every single year, and make sure the city feels proud of the Lakers and the legacy that they've already built with the Buss family.' As Walter's ownership of the Lakers prepares to begin, here are four things to know about his stewardship of the Dodgers over the last decade-plus. Continue reading here All Times Pacific NBA FINALS Oklahoma City vs. IndianaIndiana 111, at Oklahoma City 110 (box score, story)at Oklahoma City 123, Indiana 107 (box score, story)at Indiana 116, Oklahoma City 107 (box score, story)Oklahoma City 111, at Indiana 104 (box score, story)at Oklahoma City 120, Indiana 109 (box score, story)at Indiana 108, Oklahoma City 91 (box score, story)Sunday at Oklahoma City, 5 p.m., ABC 1908 — Colin wins the Tidal Stakes at Sheepshead Bay and retires undefeated after 15 starts. No major American racehorse approaches this record until 1988, when Personal Ensign retires with a perfect 13-for-13 career. 1936 — Jesse Owens sets a 100-meter record of 10.2 seconds at a meet in Chicago. 1940 — Joe Louis stops Arturo Godoy in the eighth round at Yankee Stadium to retain the world heavyweight title. 1960 — Floyd Patterson knocks out Ingemar Johansson in the fifth round in New York to become the first boxer to regain the world heavyweight title. 1966 — Billy Casper beats Arnold Palmer by four strokes in a playoff to win the U.S. Open. 1967 — Cassius Clay, later known as Muhammad Ali, is convicted of violating the United States Selective Service laws by refusing to be drafted. Clay is sentenced to five years in prison and fined $10,000, the maximum penalty for the offense. Ali remains free while his conviction is on appeal. 1968 — The Night of Speed. In a span of 2½ hours, the world record of 10 seconds for the 100 meters is broken by three men and tied by seven others at the AAU Track and Field Championships in Sacramento, Calif. Jim Hines wins the first semifinal in a tight finish with Ronny Ray Smith, becoming the first man to break the 10-second barrier. Both runners are credited with a time of 9.9 seconds. Charlie Greene wins the second semifinal and then ties Hines' 9.9 record in the final. 1976 — UEFA European Championship Final, Red Star Stadium, Belgrade, Yugoslavia: Czechoslovakia upsets West Germany, 5-3 on penalties following 2-2 draw. 1980 — Roberto Duran wins a 15-round decision over Sugar Ray Leonard at Olympic Stadium in Montreal to win the WBC welterweight crown. 1982 — Tom Watson wins the U.S. Open by two strokes over Jack Nicklaus. 1984 — Jockey Pat Day equals a thoroughbred racing record for an eight-race card when he wins seven races at Churchill Downs. Day's only loss is in the fourth race. 1993 — Lee Janzen holes a 30-foot chip for birdie on No. 16 and adds birdies on the par-5 closing holes for a two-stroke victory over Payne Stewart in the U.S. Open. Janzen ties Jack Nicklaus' record 272 total and Lee Trevino's four straight rounds in the 60′s. 1993 — John Paxson hits a 3-pointer with 3.9 seconds left as the Chicago Bulls win their third consecutive NBA title with a 99-98 victory over the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 of the finals. 1994 — Ernie Els of South Africa becomes the first foreign winner of the U.S. Open since 1981, beating Loren Roberts on the second sudden-death hole. 2004 — Retief Goosen captures his second U.S. Open in four years. In the toughest final round at the U.S. Open in 22 years, Goosen closes with a 1-over 71 for a two-shot victory made possible when Phil Mickelson three-putts from 5 feet on the 17th. 2006 — Dwyane Wade caps his magnificent playoffs with 36 points and 10 rebounds to lead Miami past the Dallas Mavericks 95-92 as the Heat roar back from a two-game deficit to win the NBA finals in six games. 2013 — LeBron James has 37 points and 12 rebounds, and the Miami Heat repeat as champions with a 95-88 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. 2018 — Christiano Ronaldo scores a goal against Morocco to become the all-time leading European goalscorer (85) in international compitition. 2019 — Duke power forward Zion Williamson is the first player chosen in the 2019 NBA Draft. 2020 — Tiz the Law, ridden by Manuel Franco, wins the 152nd Belmont Stakes becoming the first New York-bred horse to win the event since 1882. 1912 — The New York Giants outslugged the Boston Braves 21-12 with the teams scoring a total of 17 runs in the ninth inning. The Giants scored seven runs to take a 21-2 lead and the Braves scored 10 runs in the ninth. 1932 — Philadelphia's Doc Cramer hit six singles in six at-bats and Mickey Cochrane, Jimmie Foxx and Mule Haas each drove in four runs in the Athletics' 18-11 win over the Chicago White Sox. Haas hit a grand slam in the sixth inning to put the A's up 12-6. 1956 — Mickey Mantle hit two home runs into the right centerfield bleachers at Detroit's Briggs Stadium. Mantle hit both blasts off Billy Hoeft in the 7-4 win. He became the first player to reach the bleachers since they were were built in the late 1930s. 1973 — San Francisco's Bobby Bonds broke Lou Brock's National League record for leadoff home runs. Bonds' 22nd career leadoff home run came off Don Gullet in a 7-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. 1973 — Chicago's Cy Acosta becomes the first American League pitcher to bat since the designated hitter rule went into effect. Acosta strikes out in the eighth inning, and still gets the win in the White Sox' 8-3 win over California. 1980 — Freddie Patek, one of baseball's smallest players at 5-foot-5, hit three home runs and a double to lead the Angels in a 20-2 rout of the Boston Red Sox in Fenway Park. 1992 — Kelly Saunders became the second woman to serve as a public address announcer at a major league game when she filled in for Rex Barney in Baltimore. 1994 — The Detroit Tigers' string of 25 straight games hitting a home run ended in a 7-1 loss to Cleveland. The streak matched the major league mark set by the 1941 New York Yankees. 2004 — Ken Griffey Jr. hit the 500th home run of his career, off Matt Morris, to help the Cincinnati Reds beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-0. 2007 — Sammy Sosa hit his 600th home run, making him the fifth player to reach the milestone. Sosa, playing for the Texas Rangers following a year out of baseball, hit a solo homer off Jason Marquis. It came in the fifth inning against the Chicago Cubs, the team he played for from 1992-2004. 2009 — Two games ended on wild pitches in extra innings. Nate Schierholtz scored the winning run for San Francisco on a wild pitch by Jason Jennings with two outs in the 11th inning and the Giants beat the Texas Rangers 2-1. Earlier, the Chicago Cubs beat Cleveland 6-5 in 13 innings when Andres Blanco came home on Kerry Wood's gaffe. 2011 — The Florida Marlins named Jack McKeon interim manager. The 80-year-old McKeon became the second-oldest manager in major league history. Connie Mack managed the Philadelphia Athletics in a suit, tie and straw hat until 1950, when he was 87. 2015 — Max Scherzer pitched a no-hitter, losing his perfect game with two outs in the ninth inning when he hit a batter in the Washington Nationals' 6-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Scherzer dominated in retiring the first 26 batters and was one strike from throwing the 22nd perfect game in major league history since 1900. Pinch-hitter Jose Tabata fouled off a pair of 2-2 pitches before Scherzer clipped him on the elbow with a breaking ball. Scherzer then retired Josh Harrison on a deep fly to left. 2016 — Colorado beat Miami 5-3 where eight solo homers accounted for all the runs in the game and set a major league record. Mark Reynolds hit two homers and Trevor Story, Nick Hundley and Charlie Blackmon also went deep for the Rockies. Marcell Ozuna homered twice and Giancarlo Stanton hit one for the Marlins. The previous MLB mark was five. The eight home runs were also the most in a game at Marlins Park since it opened in 2012. Five of the game's first 13 batters connected. 2017 — Umpire Joe West worked his 5,000th major league game. West was behind the plate for a matchup between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. The 64-year-old, nicknamed 'Cowboy' Joe, is the third umpire to work at least 5,000 games, joining Hall of Famer Bill Klem (5,375) and Bruce Froemming (5,163). West made his major league debut as a 23-year-old on Sept. 14, 1976, at Atlanta's Fulton County Stadium in a game between the Braves and Houston Astros. He joined the NL staff full time in 1978. His 40 seasons umpiring in the majors are the most by any umpire. Compiled by the Associated Press That concludes today's newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you'd like to see, email me at To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
The Advertiser
6 hours ago
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Empty chairs spark bid to arrest premier's senior staff
Five senior government staffers could face arrest after failing to appear at an inquiry into an explosive-laden caravan found on Sydney's outskirts. In a dramatic escalation of an otherwise routine inquiry, the process to arrest the high-ranking staff in the offices of NSW Premier Chris Minns and Police Minister Yasmin Catley was set in motion on Friday after the quintet declined to appear. Committee chair and independent MP Rod Roberts conducted a roll call for the premier's chief of staff James Cullen and four other staffers before approaching upper house president Ben Franklin to seek arrest warrants. Mr Roberts said the president was non-committal when asked to go to the Supreme Court for the warrants, but Mr Franklin had a "very important and very crucial decision". "All along, Labor has tried to stonewall, delay and ridicule this important inquiry," fellow committee member John Ruddick said on social media. Agreeing to pursue the warrants could come with a personal awkwardness for Mr Franklin, given he is the godfather of the premier's second child. Arrest warrants can be issued to force a witness to attend an inquiry while witnesses who refuse to answer questions can face jail time. NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said the failure of Mr Minns' staff to appear at the probe into controversial protest and hate speech legislation indicated the premier might have breached corruption rules. "If the premier has given a direction to staff to disobey a lawful requirement to appear, that would appear to be a breach of the ministerial code," he said. The protest and speech laws were rushed through the NSW parliament in February after explosives, anti-Semitic messaging and a list of addresses of Jewish people and institutions were found inside the caravan at Dural in Sydney's northwest on January 19. The discovery prompted fears of a terrorist attack or mass-casualty event, as the premier and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese immediately dubbed it. It later emerged it was a hoax, with senior NSW police telling Mr Roberts' inquiry they believed virtually from the outset it was a ruse. In a letter to the committee announcing their intention not to attend, the staffers say appearing before the inquiry "would be at odds with the principles of ministerial accountability". Mr Roberts pressed against that motion on Friday as he addressed empty chairs. "The committee is not seeking to sanction ministerial staff for their actions, only to shed light on the events in the lead up to the passage of the hate speech and protest laws through parliament," Mr Roberts said. Mr Minns attacked the upper house on Thursday for trying to get government staff to appear at inquiries "on a routine basis" - "almost like they're criminals and under investigation, or they should front some kind of Star Chamber inquiry". "And if not, they're under threat of arrest," he said. As members of the lower house, Mr Minns and Ms Catley cannot be compelled to appear at the upper house inquiry to give evidence. But staffers can be forced to appear. Another staffer named in the motion, Mr Minns' deputy chief of staff Edward Ovadia, said in the letter he should be excused from attending the committee because he was on leave at the time and did not attend meetings. The premier and police minister say they have commented extensively on the matter, including at parliamentary hearings and press conferences and during question time. Five senior government staffers could face arrest after failing to appear at an inquiry into an explosive-laden caravan found on Sydney's outskirts. In a dramatic escalation of an otherwise routine inquiry, the process to arrest the high-ranking staff in the offices of NSW Premier Chris Minns and Police Minister Yasmin Catley was set in motion on Friday after the quintet declined to appear. Committee chair and independent MP Rod Roberts conducted a roll call for the premier's chief of staff James Cullen and four other staffers before approaching upper house president Ben Franklin to seek arrest warrants. Mr Roberts said the president was non-committal when asked to go to the Supreme Court for the warrants, but Mr Franklin had a "very important and very crucial decision". "All along, Labor has tried to stonewall, delay and ridicule this important inquiry," fellow committee member John Ruddick said on social media. Agreeing to pursue the warrants could come with a personal awkwardness for Mr Franklin, given he is the godfather of the premier's second child. Arrest warrants can be issued to force a witness to attend an inquiry while witnesses who refuse to answer questions can face jail time. NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said the failure of Mr Minns' staff to appear at the probe into controversial protest and hate speech legislation indicated the premier might have breached corruption rules. "If the premier has given a direction to staff to disobey a lawful requirement to appear, that would appear to be a breach of the ministerial code," he said. The protest and speech laws were rushed through the NSW parliament in February after explosives, anti-Semitic messaging and a list of addresses of Jewish people and institutions were found inside the caravan at Dural in Sydney's northwest on January 19. The discovery prompted fears of a terrorist attack or mass-casualty event, as the premier and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese immediately dubbed it. It later emerged it was a hoax, with senior NSW police telling Mr Roberts' inquiry they believed virtually from the outset it was a ruse. In a letter to the committee announcing their intention not to attend, the staffers say appearing before the inquiry "would be at odds with the principles of ministerial accountability". Mr Roberts pressed against that motion on Friday as he addressed empty chairs. "The committee is not seeking to sanction ministerial staff for their actions, only to shed light on the events in the lead up to the passage of the hate speech and protest laws through parliament," Mr Roberts said. Mr Minns attacked the upper house on Thursday for trying to get government staff to appear at inquiries "on a routine basis" - "almost like they're criminals and under investigation, or they should front some kind of Star Chamber inquiry". "And if not, they're under threat of arrest," he said. As members of the lower house, Mr Minns and Ms Catley cannot be compelled to appear at the upper house inquiry to give evidence. But staffers can be forced to appear. Another staffer named in the motion, Mr Minns' deputy chief of staff Edward Ovadia, said in the letter he should be excused from attending the committee because he was on leave at the time and did not attend meetings. The premier and police minister say they have commented extensively on the matter, including at parliamentary hearings and press conferences and during question time. Five senior government staffers could face arrest after failing to appear at an inquiry into an explosive-laden caravan found on Sydney's outskirts. In a dramatic escalation of an otherwise routine inquiry, the process to arrest the high-ranking staff in the offices of NSW Premier Chris Minns and Police Minister Yasmin Catley was set in motion on Friday after the quintet declined to appear. Committee chair and independent MP Rod Roberts conducted a roll call for the premier's chief of staff James Cullen and four other staffers before approaching upper house president Ben Franklin to seek arrest warrants. Mr Roberts said the president was non-committal when asked to go to the Supreme Court for the warrants, but Mr Franklin had a "very important and very crucial decision". "All along, Labor has tried to stonewall, delay and ridicule this important inquiry," fellow committee member John Ruddick said on social media. Agreeing to pursue the warrants could come with a personal awkwardness for Mr Franklin, given he is the godfather of the premier's second child. Arrest warrants can be issued to force a witness to attend an inquiry while witnesses who refuse to answer questions can face jail time. NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said the failure of Mr Minns' staff to appear at the probe into controversial protest and hate speech legislation indicated the premier might have breached corruption rules. "If the premier has given a direction to staff to disobey a lawful requirement to appear, that would appear to be a breach of the ministerial code," he said. The protest and speech laws were rushed through the NSW parliament in February after explosives, anti-Semitic messaging and a list of addresses of Jewish people and institutions were found inside the caravan at Dural in Sydney's northwest on January 19. The discovery prompted fears of a terrorist attack or mass-casualty event, as the premier and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese immediately dubbed it. It later emerged it was a hoax, with senior NSW police telling Mr Roberts' inquiry they believed virtually from the outset it was a ruse. In a letter to the committee announcing their intention not to attend, the staffers say appearing before the inquiry "would be at odds with the principles of ministerial accountability". Mr Roberts pressed against that motion on Friday as he addressed empty chairs. "The committee is not seeking to sanction ministerial staff for their actions, only to shed light on the events in the lead up to the passage of the hate speech and protest laws through parliament," Mr Roberts said. Mr Minns attacked the upper house on Thursday for trying to get government staff to appear at inquiries "on a routine basis" - "almost like they're criminals and under investigation, or they should front some kind of Star Chamber inquiry". "And if not, they're under threat of arrest," he said. As members of the lower house, Mr Minns and Ms Catley cannot be compelled to appear at the upper house inquiry to give evidence. But staffers can be forced to appear. Another staffer named in the motion, Mr Minns' deputy chief of staff Edward Ovadia, said in the letter he should be excused from attending the committee because he was on leave at the time and did not attend meetings. The premier and police minister say they have commented extensively on the matter, including at parliamentary hearings and press conferences and during question time. Five senior government staffers could face arrest after failing to appear at an inquiry into an explosive-laden caravan found on Sydney's outskirts. In a dramatic escalation of an otherwise routine inquiry, the process to arrest the high-ranking staff in the offices of NSW Premier Chris Minns and Police Minister Yasmin Catley was set in motion on Friday after the quintet declined to appear. Committee chair and independent MP Rod Roberts conducted a roll call for the premier's chief of staff James Cullen and four other staffers before approaching upper house president Ben Franklin to seek arrest warrants. Mr Roberts said the president was non-committal when asked to go to the Supreme Court for the warrants, but Mr Franklin had a "very important and very crucial decision". "All along, Labor has tried to stonewall, delay and ridicule this important inquiry," fellow committee member John Ruddick said on social media. Agreeing to pursue the warrants could come with a personal awkwardness for Mr Franklin, given he is the godfather of the premier's second child. Arrest warrants can be issued to force a witness to attend an inquiry while witnesses who refuse to answer questions can face jail time. NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said the failure of Mr Minns' staff to appear at the probe into controversial protest and hate speech legislation indicated the premier might have breached corruption rules. "If the premier has given a direction to staff to disobey a lawful requirement to appear, that would appear to be a breach of the ministerial code," he said. The protest and speech laws were rushed through the NSW parliament in February after explosives, anti-Semitic messaging and a list of addresses of Jewish people and institutions were found inside the caravan at Dural in Sydney's northwest on January 19. The discovery prompted fears of a terrorist attack or mass-casualty event, as the premier and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese immediately dubbed it. It later emerged it was a hoax, with senior NSW police telling Mr Roberts' inquiry they believed virtually from the outset it was a ruse. In a letter to the committee announcing their intention not to attend, the staffers say appearing before the inquiry "would be at odds with the principles of ministerial accountability". Mr Roberts pressed against that motion on Friday as he addressed empty chairs. "The committee is not seeking to sanction ministerial staff for their actions, only to shed light on the events in the lead up to the passage of the hate speech and protest laws through parliament," Mr Roberts said. Mr Minns attacked the upper house on Thursday for trying to get government staff to appear at inquiries "on a routine basis" - "almost like they're criminals and under investigation, or they should front some kind of Star Chamber inquiry". "And if not, they're under threat of arrest," he said. As members of the lower house, Mr Minns and Ms Catley cannot be compelled to appear at the upper house inquiry to give evidence. But staffers can be forced to appear. Another staffer named in the motion, Mr Minns' deputy chief of staff Edward Ovadia, said in the letter he should be excused from attending the committee because he was on leave at the time and did not attend meetings. The premier and police minister say they have commented extensively on the matter, including at parliamentary hearings and press conferences and during question time.
