Lehrmann inquiry boss's win before corruption appeal
Walter Sofronoff KC is asking the Federal Court to toss out the ACT corruption watchdog's March decision, which stemmed from leaks to a journalist.
But lawyers for the ACT parliament's Speaker claimed the appeal should be dismissed because the Integrity Commission's report on Mr Sofronoff's inquiry is protected by parliamentary privilege.
Parliamentary privilege is designed to allow parliament to go about its business without outside interference, such as from the courts.
Mr Sofronoff's lawyer, Adam Pomerenke KC, argued parliamentary privilege did not extend to the report published by the watchdog on their website.
Justice Wendy Abraham on Wednesday granted leave for the ACT parliamentary Speaker to make submissions about privilege but warned she wasn't persuaded by their argument.
"I am not satisfied that the conduct of the proceedings on the material on which the applicant wishes to rely involves an infringement of section 16 of the Parliamentary Privileges Act," she said.
Justice Abraham will hand down her reasons at a later stage.
The decision cleared the way for Mr Sofronoff's appeal against the corrupt conduct findings, which will be heard in late July.
Mr Sofronoff chaired a board of inquiry into the ACT's criminal justice system after controversy plagued the prosecution of Lehrmann, accused of raping then-colleague Brittany Higgins in a ministerial office at Parliament House in 2019.
A 2022 criminal trial was abandoned without a verdict because of juror misconduct.
The Sofronoff inquiry found the ACT's top prosecutor, Shane Drumgold, had lost objectivity over the Lehrmann case and had knowingly lied about a note of his meeting with broadcaster Lisa Wilkinson.
The ACT Integrity Commission found the majority of the inquiry's findings were not legally unreasonable.
But it found Mr Sofronoff's behaviour during the inquiry gave rise to a reasonable apprehension of bias and he might have been influenced by the publicly expressed views of journalist Janet Albrechtsen.
Mr Sofronoff repeatedly messaged the News Corp journalist and eventually leaked her an advance copy of his probe's final report.
That leak led to the Integrity Commission's "serious corrupt conduct finding" in March.
Mr Sofronoff's appeal comes as Lehrmann is making his own bid to clear his name after he was found to have, on the balance of probabilities, raped Ms Higgins inside Parliament House.
A former Supreme Court judge has had his path cleared to fight a finding he engaged in corrupt conduct during his inquiry into Bruce Lehrmann's criminal prosecution.
Walter Sofronoff KC is asking the Federal Court to toss out the ACT corruption watchdog's March decision, which stemmed from leaks to a journalist.
But lawyers for the ACT parliament's Speaker claimed the appeal should be dismissed because the Integrity Commission's report on Mr Sofronoff's inquiry is protected by parliamentary privilege.
Parliamentary privilege is designed to allow parliament to go about its business without outside interference, such as from the courts.
Mr Sofronoff's lawyer, Adam Pomerenke KC, argued parliamentary privilege did not extend to the report published by the watchdog on their website.
Justice Wendy Abraham on Wednesday granted leave for the ACT parliamentary Speaker to make submissions about privilege but warned she wasn't persuaded by their argument.
"I am not satisfied that the conduct of the proceedings on the material on which the applicant wishes to rely involves an infringement of section 16 of the Parliamentary Privileges Act," she said.
Justice Abraham will hand down her reasons at a later stage.
The decision cleared the way for Mr Sofronoff's appeal against the corrupt conduct findings, which will be heard in late July.
Mr Sofronoff chaired a board of inquiry into the ACT's criminal justice system after controversy plagued the prosecution of Lehrmann, accused of raping then-colleague Brittany Higgins in a ministerial office at Parliament House in 2019.
A 2022 criminal trial was abandoned without a verdict because of juror misconduct.
The Sofronoff inquiry found the ACT's top prosecutor, Shane Drumgold, had lost objectivity over the Lehrmann case and had knowingly lied about a note of his meeting with broadcaster Lisa Wilkinson.
The ACT Integrity Commission found the majority of the inquiry's findings were not legally unreasonable.
But it found Mr Sofronoff's behaviour during the inquiry gave rise to a reasonable apprehension of bias and he might have been influenced by the publicly expressed views of journalist Janet Albrechtsen.
Mr Sofronoff repeatedly messaged the News Corp journalist and eventually leaked her an advance copy of his probe's final report.
That leak led to the Integrity Commission's "serious corrupt conduct finding" in March.
Mr Sofronoff's appeal comes as Lehrmann is making his own bid to clear his name after he was found to have, on the balance of probabilities, raped Ms Higgins inside Parliament House.
A former Supreme Court judge has had his path cleared to fight a finding he engaged in corrupt conduct during his inquiry into Bruce Lehrmann's criminal prosecution.
Walter Sofronoff KC is asking the Federal Court to toss out the ACT corruption watchdog's March decision, which stemmed from leaks to a journalist.
But lawyers for the ACT parliament's Speaker claimed the appeal should be dismissed because the Integrity Commission's report on Mr Sofronoff's inquiry is protected by parliamentary privilege.
Parliamentary privilege is designed to allow parliament to go about its business without outside interference, such as from the courts.
Mr Sofronoff's lawyer, Adam Pomerenke KC, argued parliamentary privilege did not extend to the report published by the watchdog on their website.
Justice Wendy Abraham on Wednesday granted leave for the ACT parliamentary Speaker to make submissions about privilege but warned she wasn't persuaded by their argument.
"I am not satisfied that the conduct of the proceedings on the material on which the applicant wishes to rely involves an infringement of section 16 of the Parliamentary Privileges Act," she said.
Justice Abraham will hand down her reasons at a later stage.
The decision cleared the way for Mr Sofronoff's appeal against the corrupt conduct findings, which will be heard in late July.
Mr Sofronoff chaired a board of inquiry into the ACT's criminal justice system after controversy plagued the prosecution of Lehrmann, accused of raping then-colleague Brittany Higgins in a ministerial office at Parliament House in 2019.
A 2022 criminal trial was abandoned without a verdict because of juror misconduct.
The Sofronoff inquiry found the ACT's top prosecutor, Shane Drumgold, had lost objectivity over the Lehrmann case and had knowingly lied about a note of his meeting with broadcaster Lisa Wilkinson.
The ACT Integrity Commission found the majority of the inquiry's findings were not legally unreasonable.
But it found Mr Sofronoff's behaviour during the inquiry gave rise to a reasonable apprehension of bias and he might have been influenced by the publicly expressed views of journalist Janet Albrechtsen.
Mr Sofronoff repeatedly messaged the News Corp journalist and eventually leaked her an advance copy of his probe's final report.
That leak led to the Integrity Commission's "serious corrupt conduct finding" in March.
Mr Sofronoff's appeal comes as Lehrmann is making his own bid to clear his name after he was found to have, on the balance of probabilities, raped Ms Higgins inside Parliament House.
A former Supreme Court judge has had his path cleared to fight a finding he engaged in corrupt conduct during his inquiry into Bruce Lehrmann's criminal prosecution.
Walter Sofronoff KC is asking the Federal Court to toss out the ACT corruption watchdog's March decision, which stemmed from leaks to a journalist.
But lawyers for the ACT parliament's Speaker claimed the appeal should be dismissed because the Integrity Commission's report on Mr Sofronoff's inquiry is protected by parliamentary privilege.
Parliamentary privilege is designed to allow parliament to go about its business without outside interference, such as from the courts.
Mr Sofronoff's lawyer, Adam Pomerenke KC, argued parliamentary privilege did not extend to the report published by the watchdog on their website.
Justice Wendy Abraham on Wednesday granted leave for the ACT parliamentary Speaker to make submissions about privilege but warned she wasn't persuaded by their argument.
"I am not satisfied that the conduct of the proceedings on the material on which the applicant wishes to rely involves an infringement of section 16 of the Parliamentary Privileges Act," she said.
Justice Abraham will hand down her reasons at a later stage.
The decision cleared the way for Mr Sofronoff's appeal against the corrupt conduct findings, which will be heard in late July.
Mr Sofronoff chaired a board of inquiry into the ACT's criminal justice system after controversy plagued the prosecution of Lehrmann, accused of raping then-colleague Brittany Higgins in a ministerial office at Parliament House in 2019.
A 2022 criminal trial was abandoned without a verdict because of juror misconduct.
The Sofronoff inquiry found the ACT's top prosecutor, Shane Drumgold, had lost objectivity over the Lehrmann case and had knowingly lied about a note of his meeting with broadcaster Lisa Wilkinson.
The ACT Integrity Commission found the majority of the inquiry's findings were not legally unreasonable.
But it found Mr Sofronoff's behaviour during the inquiry gave rise to a reasonable apprehension of bias and he might have been influenced by the publicly expressed views of journalist Janet Albrechtsen.
Mr Sofronoff repeatedly messaged the News Corp journalist and eventually leaked her an advance copy of his probe's final report.
That leak led to the Integrity Commission's "serious corrupt conduct finding" in March.
Mr Sofronoff's appeal comes as Lehrmann is making his own bid to clear his name after he was found to have, on the balance of probabilities, raped Ms Higgins inside Parliament House.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
9 News
2 hours ago
- 9 News
Car thief who killed 'larger than life' WA policeman jailed
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Reagan Ainslie Chown, 25, was convicted of manslaughter over the late-night June 8, 2023 incident that led to Constable Anthony Woods' death. He was sentenced in the Western Australian Supreme Court today to a head sentence of 15 years and six months, and a minimum term of 13 years and six months. Fallen WA Police officer Anthony Woods. (9News) Woods' mother Natalie said her heart was "ripped" away the day her son died. "My beautiful son Anthony was so full of life, energy and ambition," she said as she read her victim impact statement to the court. "He was doing his duty and he was protecting his community and his future was taken away." Ms Woods said her family continued to suffer and "each anniversary, birthday and any moment we shared with him is now painful for us". "Whatever he did, he had a great passion ... he was larger than life, but his love for his family was number one," she said. Chown and two others fled from police in a stolen Holden Cruz in a high-speed chase before turning into a cul-de-sac and coming to a stop. Woods, 28, opened the driver's door and tried to detain Chown, who was behind the steering wheel with the engine running. Chown put the car into reverse and accelerated in a bid to escape. The officer fired his Taser into the moving car before falling and being dragged under the vehicle, where he became trapped. CCTV footage played during the trial in May showed the Holden reversing at speed, mounting a kerb and stopping after it hit a bollard. During the video, Woods can be heard twice saying "stay where you are" and "Taser" as the vehicle moved backwards. The officer died several days after the incident from complications of cardiac arrest caused by mechanical compression of the chest and abdomen. Chown was under the influence of methamphetamine and in possession of the drug when the incident happened. Constable Anthony Woods with his wife, Emily. (Supplied) During his trial, he argued he was not responsible for the tragedy because the officer shot him with a Taser and it caused him to lose control of a stolen car. Justice Joseph McGrath said Chown intended to flee police and ignored the officer's lawful commands. "Undoubtedly, the Taser caused you pain and discomfort, but your course of conduct was set and it was done consciously and deliberately," he said. "Even if you were not tasered, you would have reversed and that was your intention." Woods, who had just passed his probation, was farewelled before about 2000 police officers, family, friends and dignitaries at Perth's Optus Stadium. Chown was initially accused of murder but the charge was downgraded to manslaughter a week before his trial. He was also convicted of stealing the car and reckless driving to escape police and was also sentenced for those offences. Western Australia Perth police crime national CONTACT US
Perth Now
3 hours ago
- Perth Now
Meth user handed hefty jail term for cop's car killing
A drug-affected car thief who ran over and killed a young policeman while trying to escape arrest will spend more than a decade in prison. Reagan Ainslie Chown, 25, was convicted of manslaughter over the late-night June 8, 2023 incident that led to Constable Anthony Woods' death. He was sentenced in the Western Australian Supreme Court on Thursday to a head sentence of 15 years and six months, and a minimum term of 13 years and six months. Const Woods' mother Natalie said her heart was "ripped" away the day her son died. "My beautiful son Anthony was so full of life, energy and ambition," she said as she read her victim impact statement to the court. "He was doing his duty and he was protecting his community and his future was taken away." Ms Woods said her family continued to suffer and "each anniversary, birthday and any moment we shared with him is now painful for us". "Whatever he did, he had a great passion ... he was larger than life, but his love for his family was number one," she said. Chown and two others fled from police in a stolen Holden Cruz in a high-speed chase before turning into a cul-de-sac and coming to a stop. Const Woods, 28, opened the driver's door and tried to detain Chown, who was behind the steering wheel with the engine running. Chown put the car into reverse and accelerated in a bid to escape. The officer fired his Taser into the moving car before falling and being dragged under the vehicle, where he became trapped. CCTV footage played during the trial in May showed the Holden reversing at speed, mounting a kerb and stopping after it hit a bollard. During the video, Const Woods can be heard twice saying "stay where you are" and "Taser" as the vehicle moved backwards. The officer died several days after the incident from complications of cardiac arrest caused by mechanical compression of the chest and abdomen. Chown was under the influence of methamphetamine and in possession of the drug when the incident happened. During his trial, he argued he was not responsible for the tragedy because the officer shot him with a Taser and it caused him to lose control of a stolen car. Justice Joseph McGrath said Chown intended to flee police and ignored the officer's lawful commands. "Undoubtedly, the Taser caused you pain and discomfort, but your course of conduct was set and it was done consciously and deliberately," he said. "Even if you were not tasered, you would have reversed and that was your intention." Const Woods, who had just passed his probation, was farewelled before about 2000 police officers, family, friends and dignitaries at Perth's Optus Stadium. Chown was initially accused of murder but the charge was downgraded to manslaughter a week before his trial. He was also convicted of stealing the car and reckless driving to escape police and was also sentenced for those offences.
ABC News
4 hours ago
- ABC News
James Austin sentenced over manslaughter of Tasmanian mother-of-four Jacqui Purton
A man who pleaded guilty to the 2023 manslaughter of mother-of-four Jacqui Lee Purton has been sentenced to 13 years' jail. Warning: Some of the details of the case may be distressing. James Kenneth Austin, 40, last month pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court in Hobart to the manslaughter of Ms Purton, his ex-partner. He had previously pleaded not guilty to her murder, and that charge was later withdrawn. In March 2023, Ms Purton was fatally hit by a car driven by Austin at a property in Campania, north-east of Hobart. While handing down the sentence, Justice Michael Brett described Austin's actions as "callous and cold blooded". The sentence was backdated to March 13, 2023. Austin will be eligible to apply for parole after serving eight years. During Monday's sentencing submissions hearing, prosecutor Heather Denton told the court Austin was "violent and controlling" of Ms Purton during their four-year "on-again, off-again" relationship. She said on several occasions, Austin drove his car at Ms Purton when she tried to leave, forcing her to "jump into bushes to avoid being hit". In 2022, Ms Purton told her mother she "feared for her life" as Austin had "threatened to kill her," Ms Denton said. In the early hours of March 13, 2023, Ms Purton attempted to leave Austin's Campania property where he lived with his parents, following an argument. She made several attempts to book a taxi but was unable to due to poor phone reception. She also attempted to contact triple-0 and the non-emergency Tasmania Police number before walking down the driveway. Austin drove his white Holden Commodore down the driveway looking for her, at 20-30 kilometres per hour. With no evidence of breaking, he struck her on her left knee and she travelled under the entirety of the vehicle. Ms Denton asserted that Austin drove at Ms Purton with the aim of trying to scare her. "Both thought each other would move, but neither did in time," Ms Denton told the court. Austin went back to the house on foot and did not initially call an ambulance. When police called, he attempted to deter them from the property. Austin told police he did not perform CPR on Ms Purton, as he did not know how. Austin placed Ms Purton's body across the back seats of his car and drove the car back to the house. He asked his father to drive to meet the ambulance at the bottom of the driveway, and went to bed, as he was unlicensed at the time. The court also heard that Austin lied several times to emergency services, including telling police and ambulance officers that Ms Purton had left the property and that someone else had hit Ms Purton. Analysis from a forensic pathologist found Ms Purton died "rapidly" from internal injuries. During sentencing submissions, nine of Ms Purton's family members submitted victim impact statements, including her four children. Ms Purton's mother, Leanne Walford, was visibly upset as she told the court the "senseless" death of her daughter had "engulfed" her family in mourning. "She made people feel seen and cared for. She did not deserve to leave this world in such a horrific way," Ms Walford said. Ms Purton's daughter, Shakira Robertson, told the court she said goodbye to her mother wearing a blindfold, as she was afraid she "wouldn't recognise the beautiful woman who raised me". "[She was] fun, bold, kind, a free spirit who had no fear, the best mum in the whole world. "To sum up feels impossible, there are no right words, losing her in a horrific way has destroyed me," she said. Addressing Austin, who was present in court, she said she "will never forgive" him.
