Berry's Jennifer Robinson has again taken centre stage as WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange finally gained his freedom after more than a decade battling efforts to extradite him to the US to face espionage charges.
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The former Bomaderry High School student and Rhodes Scholar has been the face of Mr Assange's legal battle for much of the 14 years since the US Government tried to have him charged over the site publishing classified defence documents alleging the country committed war crimes in Syria and Afghanistan.
Ms Robinson was one of four lawyers representing Mr Assange during the legal battles, and was asked to be WikiLeaks' media representative.
As Mr Assange was finally granted his freedom today (Wednesday, June 26) and the chance to return home to Australia, Ms Robinson was again at the forefront, dealing with the gathered media throng.
She thanked all those who had supported Mr Assange and the principle of media freedom.
Those supporters included Australia's ambassador to the US and former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who was at Mr Assange's side as he faced court in the US Pacific territory of the Northern Mariana Islands.
A plea deal secured his freedom, and Mr Assange is expected to land in Australia at 7.30pm, June 26.
The private jet carrying the Wikileaks founder departed the pacific U.S. territory at 1pm with the flight scheduled to land at Canberra Airport.
Outside the court, Ms Robinson thanked Mr Rudd for his "adept diplomacy" that helped secure the outcome.
"Julian has suffered for more than 14 years. This prosecution sets a precedent that should be a concern to journalists everywhere," she said.
The Queensland-born editor pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge as part of a plea deal with the US Justice Department after spending seven years in London's Ecuadorian embassy and five years in Belmarsh Prison in the U.K.
The plea deal in the U.S territory court has enabled his to return to Australia without spending any time in a US prison.
Assange arrived via private plane on the Northern Mariana Islands, a US territory north of Papua New Guinea in the Pacific Ocean, at 6.30am on June 26.
Assange's brother, documentary filmmaker Gabriel Shipton, told ACM it was "time for everyone who's been working on this to have a beer".
Stella Assange, lawyer and wife of Mr Assange, was seeking a pardon as accepting an espionage charge was a "very serious concern" for journalists everywhere.
The Queensland-born editor pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge as part of a plea deal with the US Justice Department after spending seven years in London's Ecuadorian embassy and five years in Belmarsh Prison in the U.K.
The plea deal in the U.S territory court has enabled his to return to Australia without spending any time in a US prison.
Assange arrived via private plane on the Northern Mariana Islands, a US territory north of Papua New Guinea in the Pacific Ocean, at 6.30am on June 26.
