Lawyer X: Police officer’s scare after royal commission

The officer is now trying to have their name suppressed in the Victorian Court of Appeal after their first bid was rejected by the royal commission’s chairwoman Margaret McMurdo.

Victoria Police lawyer Ian Freckelton QC told the court on Friday that underworld figures had carried out a potentially intimidating “walk-by” of the police officer’s home a few days after the officer gave evidence.

Mr Freckleton said Ms McMurdo should have taken the “possibility” of danger into account if the officer’s name was released.

He submitted Ms McMurdo had an “inappropriate focus” in that she was concerned “every current or former police officer” appearing in a royal commission would have grounds for a suppression order if one was granted.

He said there was an “irrationality of the focus on other members making similar submissions.”

But Royal Commission lawyer Chris Horan QC told the court that it was important the royal commission conducted its inquiry “in as open a matter as possible”.

He said this was because of “the nature of the inquiry itself” which involves secrecy within Victoria Police.

Judge Mark Weinberg asked Mr Freckelton if he accepted “the potential the commission could be stymied” if an order was made to suppress the name of a police officer because of the possibility of a threat.

“There would be a very powerful incentive, would there not, for every police officer whose name might be dragged through the mud…to say, that applies to me as well?” Judge Weinberg asked.

The court’s judgment will be delivered next week.

The royal commission will deliver its final report into one of Victoria’s biggest legal scandals on November 30. It is investigating the saga of “Lawyer X” Nicola Gobbo, who represented some of Melbourne’s biggest criminals at the same time as she was providing information to police.

Originally published as Cop’s scare after Lawyer X inquiry