Alan Boulton, a former deputy president of the Fair Work Commission and ex-lecturer at Monash University, has been granted the ability to travel to Europe while on bail after being charged with possessing child abuse material. The 74-year-old appeared at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court, facing three charges related to child abuse images allegedly displayed “inadvertently” during a university lecture on February 5.
The incident was reported to the police, leading to an investigation in which they interviewed Boulton at his home in Middle Park a week later. During this investigation, officers seized electronic devices from both his Melbourne residence and a second property in Sydney.
Boulton was charged on July 31, with the prosecution attempting to impose travel restrictions as a condition of his bail, including surrendering his passport. However, his lawyer, Holly Baxter, argued for his release for a planned business trip, citing that Boulton had previously provided detailed flight information and itinerary to the prosecutors. Baxter highlighted the significant investment made for this trip, asserting that no objections had been raised regarding his foreign travel during prior court hearings.
The magistrate presiding over the case, Brett Sonnet, denied the prosecution’s request for travel restrictions and allowed Boulton to proceed with his European trip. Alongside permission to travel, Boulton’s bail conditions mandate that he refrain from contacting any prosecution witnesses and notify police of any change in his address within 24 hours.
Boulton is scheduled to return to court on November 7 for a committal mention. With a noteworthy legal background, he served as a lawyer for the Australian Council of Trade Unions before joining the Fair Work Commission in 1989, ultimately becoming the senior deputy president until his retirement in 2015.
Monash University released a statement acknowledging the seriousness of the allegations but refrained from further comment during the ongoing legal proceedings, emphasising that the safety and well-being of students and staff remains a top priority.