The inquiry discussion comes after the publication last week of a letter from ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold to ACT chief of police Neil Gaughan in which Drumgold complained of a “very clear campaign to pressure” him not to prosecute Lehrmann,the man who had been accused of raping Brittany Higgins in Parliament House.
The territory government is still receiving advice on how to constitute the inquiry because ACT police are a division of the Australian Federal Police and as a consequence cannot be referred to the local integrity commission,which had been the ACT government’s preferred option.
“The cabinet discussed how a broad-ranging,independent inquiry could help to identify the roles played by the parties involved in the trial and whether these actions were appropriate. These discussions also noted that an[Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity] investigation is currently under way,” Barr said.
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“The government will provide further updates in the coming days.”
Lehrmann pleaded not guilty to one charge of sexual intercourse without consent and his trial was aborted in October after juror misconduct. Plans for a second trial were abandoned earlier this month and the charges against Lehrmann dropped because of serious concerns about Higgins’ mental health.
The letter from Drumgold to Gaughan also called for a public inquiry to examine “both political and police conduct” relating to the case,underscoring the dramatic deterioration of relations between the prosecutor’s office and the ACT police.