The High Court decision to allow the appeal of Cardinal George Pell will send shivers through the entire Australian criminal justice system. Their Honours have given hope to anyone who has been convicted by a jury. They have effectively said that doubt can be entertained even when the principal witness in court is unshaken in their testimony.

Cardinal Pell travelled in a four-car convoy upon being released from Barwon Prison on Tuesday. Credit:Jason South

The scales of justice are being re-calibrated. The balance has shifted. Trials will be different and appeals as well. It has never before been the role of an Appeal Court to substitute their view for the jurors. Now it is.

No one in Australia has ever spent so much money trying to undo the sworn evidence of a single witness. Millions of dollars were invested – no stone left unturned. Legions of lawyers, researchers and investigators trawled through every possible source to discredit one man telling what he alleges happened all those years ago. But in the end, none of that investigatory effort into the complainant was what made the difference. Instead, it was the evidence of witnesses on the periphery that swung the case.

The overwhelming majority of criminal trials before our courts are funded by legal aid. In every trial, pragmatic corners are cut, compromises are made. Not every point can be pursued, not every possible doubt explored. Now, with Pell’s case, we can all see what can happen when you do have the money, the backing to chase every possible angle.