Wrong.

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In 2003 in the case of Australian Communication Exchange v Deputy Commissioner of Taxation the seven Justices of the High Court of Australia ruled 4-3 in favour of granting an appeal.

This meant that three of the wisest, most experienced lawyers in the country - including the Chief Justice - who were in the minority and denied the appeal were 'wrong'.

It meant that the Barristers and Solicitors who quoted legal precedents, legislation and fact in support of the respondent before the High court were 'wrong'. 

It meant that the three Judges of the Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia who made the finding that was the subject of the appeal and the barristers and solicitors who appeared in that trial on behalf of the losing party that was overturned by the High Court was each 'wrong'. 

It meant that each bureaucrat in the Australian Tax Office who made decisions and internally reviewed and upheld decisions that applied and interpreted legislation, policy and case law that were eventually overturned by the High Court was wrong. 

From the first public servant to the judgment in the High Court, dozens of decision makers and their advisers including three of the sharpest legal minds in the land, each with education, experience, expertise and wisdom and hundreds of combined years of interpreting and applying policies and procedures and laws were....'wrong'.

The High Court, Federal Court, Supreme Courts, District and County Courts, Magistrates Courts and miscellaneous other tribunals across the country overturn thousands of decisions of lower decision makers every day. Their 'wrong' legal reasoning, reputation, credibility and intellect will remain pinned up in the public square of the World Wide Web for the world to see as long as there is such a thing. 

Law students, solicitors, barristers, text book writers, Queens and Senior Counsel, judges associates, judges and High Court justices will continue to read and study their 'wrong' reasoning and use it to form and strengthen their own arguments based on different facts and sometimes even law. 

Next time that you're 'wrong' about something, remember the Chief Justice and his two other High Court of Australia brethren and Australian Communication Exchange v Deputy Commissioner of Taxation.

You're in good company.

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