Concerns expressed over Lehrmann inquiry report leak

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Senior lawyers in the ACT have expressed concerns about the findings of misconduct against the territory's director of public prosecutions by the inquiry into the prosecution of Bruce Lehrmann. The trial was aborted no findings made against the former liberal staffer. But the inquiry into the handling of the case is now mired in controversy, with its chair, Walter Sofronoff, under fire for leaking his own report.

Transcript

00:00 Career under a cloud. Shane Drumgold resigned as DPP after the damning findings of the Sofronov

00:09 report became public last week. Now his peers say he may not be able to practice as a barrister.

00:15 The Bar Council notes with grave concern the findings of misconduct in the report regarding

00:21 the person with primary carriage of the prosecution of Mr Lehrman. Mr Drumgold's practicing certificate

00:27 is restricted to his work at the DPP. Any application by Mr Drumgold for a new or unrestricted

00:34 practicing certificate will require the approval of the ACT Bar Council and will necessitate

00:40 consideration of the findings contained in the Sofronov report. Mr Drumgold has admitted

00:46 to mistakes but denies any deliberate underhanded conduct or dishonesty. The ACT opposition

00:53 has queried a review of cases which cleared him. Why was it only limited to the cases

01:00 that Mr Drumgold was involved in as director of public prosecutions? In the meantime the

01:06 government's considering all options including the Integrity Commission as it waits for advice

01:12 about whether the law was broken when Walter Sofronov's report was leaked and whether there

01:17 should be criminal charges against Mr Drumgold. But today others worried about the impact

01:23 of the debate over the report. I'm concerned about the message it sends to people who have

01:29 experienced sexual assaults. I want the ACT community to know you will be listened to,

01:35 you will be treated with respect and you will be supported. The ACT's Victims of Crime Commission

01:41 says there's been no slowdown in demand for its help.

01:45 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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