A proud Aboriginal man of the Ngarrindjeri and Narungga peoples of South Australia and a member of the Stolen Generation, Derek Bromley, now 69, has spent only 45 days free from state care. Convicted of murder in 1985 on the basis of fundamentally flawed evidence, he is currently the longest-serving prisoner in the country who still vigorously maintains his innocence.

Bromley was convicted of the 1984 murder of 21-year-old Stephen Docoza, whose body was found in Adelaide’s River Torrens five days after his death. The case against Bromley was built on the testimony of a man experiencing severe psychosis and hallucinations at the time – an inherently unreliable witness. However, the most damning evidence came from South Australia’s chief forensic pathologist at the time, the disgraced Dr Colin Manock. The head of Manock’s own forensic science centre gave sworn evidence in court, stating that Manock was unqualified to perform autopsies or provide expert testimony. Despite this, Manock undertook the autopsy of the Docoza’s body which was in an advanced state of decomposition. Leading forensic experts, including the Crown’s own expert stated that his findings lacked any forensic credibility. They stated, as they did in Henry Keogh’s case, that there was no reliable evidence to establish a homicidal drowning. Despite this, Bromley was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison with a 22-year non-parole period. In subsequent appeals, South Australian prosecutorial authorities refused to acknowledge the fatal flaws in the case.

In 2023, Bromley’s appeal to the High Court of Australia resulted in two judges stating that he had been the victim of a substantial miscarriage of justice, concluding that he was entitled to a verdict of acquittal, preventing any retrial. However, the other three judges denied him leave to appeal. Additionally, the court refused to allow Bromley’s lawyers to make submissions regarding the fundamentally flawed forensic pathology evidence.

On July 3, 2024, after decades of legal battles and repeated refusals to acknowledge the flaws in his case, Bromley was finally released on parole. His fight for justice continues. His unwavering determination to challenge systemic injustice have left a lasting impact. His testimony to the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody has been a pivotal contribution, providing crucial insight into the harsh realities faced by Indigenous Australians within the criminal justice system. He is now seeking to have his conviction overturned by invoking a novel procedure which allows a single judge of the South Australian Court to set aside any legal judgment (including a criminal conviction) which has been obtained by fraud.