Former judge will investigate damning allegations made by prosecutor Shane Drumgold about police conduct
Sofronoff’s appointment, first reported by News Corp and confirmed by the Guardian, will see him investigate the damning allegations made by the ACT director of public prosecutions, Shane Drumgold, about police’s handling of the investigation, trial and the then-looming retrial of Lehrmann.
The inquiry is also expected to have remit to examine the conduct of other parties, including the DPP and the ACT’s victims of crime commissioner, Heidi Yates.The trial against Lehrmann for the alleged rape of fellow political staffer Brittany Higgins collapsed last year, after the discovery of juror misconduct. A retrial was abandoned by the DPP due to expert evidence about the risk the proceedings posed to Higgins’ mental health.
Drumgold alleged he was subject to “inappropriate interference” and said police were “clearly aligned with the successful defence of this matter” during the trial. ACT police have refused to comment on “any aspects surrounding this matter including commentary about the letter from the ACT DPP”. However, the police unionThe chief minister, Andrew Barr, described the allegations as “serious” and said an independent review of the “roles played by the criminal justice agencies involved” was the most appropriate response.
Rattenbury described Drumgold’s allegations as “concerning” and said it was important the inquiry examine “fracture points” in the relationship between the DPP and ACT policing. The cooperation of the two agencies is crucial to the proper functioning of the territory’s criminal justice system.
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