It comes after a judicial review found communications between a journalist and the head of the inquiry, Walter Sofronoff, could lead a fair-minded observer to conclude the reporter impacted Mr Sofronoff's views.
Former ACT top prosecutor Shane Drumgold calls for Walter Sofronoff's report into the prosecution of Bruce Lehrmann to be partially redactedA recent judicial review found communications between the head of the board of inquiry, Walter Sofronoff, and a journalist, could lead a fair-minded observer to conclude the reporter had impacted Mr Sofronoff's views.
Former ACT top prosecutor Shane Drumgold is now asking that a report highly critical of his role in the prosecution of Bruce Lehrmann be partially redacted.Mr Drumgold is also seeking an explanation from the ACT government over its determination that his role as DPP was "untenable". The ACT's former director of public prosecutions Shane Drumgold has called on the ACT government to redact three chapters of Walter Sofronoff's report on the prosecution of former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann. His request comes after a judicial review found adverse findings about Mr Drumgold were affected by an apprehension of bias.Mr Lehrmann has always denied the rape allegation. The three chapters that Mr Drumgold is seeking to have scratched from the record contain scathing criticisms of the former top prosecutor and his management of the case. Last week, Acting Supreme Court Justice Stephen Kaye found the level of contact between inquiry chair Walter Sofronoff and The Australian journalist Janet Albrechtson gave rise to an apprehension of bias. Director of the Centre for Public Integrity, Geoffrey Watson SC, said he believed that meant the adverse findings relating to Mr Drumgold now had "no legal effect"."Those findings no longer exist, as a matter of law, because Mr Drumgold did not receive a fair hearing. "They were made in the context of an unfair hearing where … that the decision maker was reasonably apprehending to be biased against Mr Drumgold."The report from Mr Sofronoff was leaked before it was given to the government and Mr Drumgold resigned as DPP soon afterwards. He had already been on leave from his job when the report was leaked, after he gave evidence at the inquiry where he backed down on key allegations, including that there had been political interference in the investigation, Mr Drumgold also conceded to the inquiry that he did not do enough to correct media reports about whether journalist Lisa Wilkinson was warned not to give a speech about her interview with Ms Higgins at the Logies He admitted to the inquiry that he had failed to tender a letter in court which stated "neither Ms Wilkinson nor the Network Ten senior legal counsel … understood that they had been cautioned that Ms Wilkinson giving an acceptance speech at the Logie Awards could result in an application being made … to vacate the trial date".Former ACT director of public prosecutions Shane Drumgold welcomed the findings of a recent ACT Supreme Court case, saying, "I am delighted with the court's decision today, and I am looking forward to moving on with my life".Mr Drumgold is today arguing that he was forced to resign early as DPP because of the leaking and publishing of Mr Sofronoff's report before he had seen it. In a statement to the ABC, he said the leaking of the report had denied him an opportunity to seek an interim injunction against its release. "This reporting ultimately resulted in my premature departure as director of public prosecutions before I could seek judicial review," Mr Drumgold said.He said he was disappointed in the government's response to the judicial review thus far. "Even though the harm has been done, I had hoped that responsible government would have corrected this, by immediately redacting the publication of the adverse findings and comments … that have been clearly vitiated by the orders of Justice Kaye." Mr Drumgold said.Mr Drumgold said he had now written to ACT Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury querying the basis for how the government decided his position was untenable, given the recent court ruling. Speaking on ABC Radio Canberra this morning, Mr Rattenbury said the government was "still looking at the ruling from the court" and that it would give the ruling consideration. Last Tuesday, Mr Rattenbury had said the judicial review findings did not change the fact Mr Drumgold's position had become untenable. "Through the course of the board of inquiry we saw Mr Drumgold retract a series of statements he made," he said. "He changed his view on a number of matters, so that collection of things was the basis on which the government formed the view that Mr Drumgold's position was untenable and we have not changed our view on that." Mr Drumgold said if he had known that was part of the basis, he would have included it in his challenge to the findings of the inquiry report.Contact between journalist and head of inquiry into Bruce Lehrmann's prosecution gave rise to an impression of bias, court rules'You brutally killed her': Kelly Wilkinson's estranged husband sentenced to life in jailFormer federal MP running for Logan mayor vows to return donation from convicted corrupt businessmanEmergency rescue operation for two people believed to be trapped in a Ballarat gold mineISIS wife who returned to Australia expected to enter plea, sentencing set for JuneFormer Queensland radio host found guilty of historical sexual offences against girl'The stress level is absolutely beyond': Man loses licence after false positive drug testNew Mexico man dies of the plague, in the US state's first fatal case of the disease since 2020 An expert estimated 20 per cent of Fred again.. tickets were bought by bots. 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