The ACT government will launch an independent inquiry into the prosecution of the man accused of raping ex-Liberal party staffer Brittany Higgins was handled.
Bruce Lehrmann faced a trial in the ACT Supreme Court in October but the charges against him were dropped after it was derailed after juror misconduct and concerns about Ms Higgins’ mental health.
He has denied raping Ms Higgins in Parliament House in 2019.
The board of inquiry will examine interactions between prosecutors and ACT Police regarding the charges and decisions to go ahead with a first trial and then not proceed with a retrial.
It will also examine police investigators, the Victims of Crime Commissioner and laws in the ACT related to juror misconduct.
All parties have indicated they will cooperate with the inquiry.
The inquiry was launched after ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold raised concerns about “political and police conduct” in the case.
He also wrote to the territory’s police chief accusing his members of pressuring him not to prosecute Mr Lehrmann.
But the police union accused Mr Drumgold of attempting to smear officers, saying it “firmly believes” the ACT DPP compromised Mr Lehrmann’s trial.
ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the allegations about the conduct of various parties were significant.
“An independent review of the roles played by the criminal justice agencies involved is the most appropriate response,” he said.
The inquiry will be able to hold both public and private hearings and compel witnesses to attend.
It is expected a report will be provided to the chief minister in the first half of 2023.
© AAP 2022
