A high-profile lawyer has rubbished Queensland's anti-bikie laws, saying they are totally useless and nothing more than a political stunt.
The case against five Victorian men arrested while holidaying on the Gold Coast in January 2014 under anti-association laws was dismissed in Southport Magistrates Court on Monday when the prosecution revealed it had no evidence against any of the accused.
Bill Potts, who was representing two of the five men, says the case has cost the public $500,000 and is the latest example of the laws failing to meet the burden of proof in court.
Bane Alabejovic, Kresimir Basic, Darren Keith Haley, Dario Halilovic and Daniel Morgan Lovett were all arrested and charged while leaving an ice-cream shop at Surfers Paradise during a holiday with their families.
The five were accused of being bikie gang members and charged under a law introduced by the former LNP government that prevents members of a criminal organisation from knowingly gathering in a group of more than two people in a public place.
Mr Potts said his clients were guilty of nothing more than arguing over what type of ice-cream they wanted.
"The offence in effect is buying ice-cream in a public place," Mr Potts said.
"The biggest controversy was whether it should be a choc-top or a vanilla ice-cream."
Mr Potts said the anti-association case was the latest of many to be thrown out without proof.
"Not one prosecution has been able to be sustained," he said.
The anti-bikie laws are set to be reviewed by the current Queensland government and Mr Potts is hoping they will be abolished.
"Anti-association laws don't work ... it prevents nothing and saves nobody," he said.
All five men spent more than two weeks in custody following their arrests, including time in solitary confinement, before being granted Supreme Court bail.
Mr Potts said his clients were considering their legal options in regard to possible civil action.
