With Lawyer X report now out, police accountability must follow

2020-11-30

The Victorian Greens have called on the state government to uphold police standards by strengthening independent oversight of the police, following the release of the report into the Lawyer X scandal.

Currently police officers themselves investigate nearly all complaints about their colleagues because IBAC lacks the resources to do so.

The state government has repeatedly delayed responding to recommendations for IBAC to be funded for this role, claiming that their hands were tied until the Royal Commission had completed its work.

A 2018 parliamentary inquiry, anti-corruption groups and the Greens have repeatedly called for an independent body such as IBAC to have the oversight role along with the necessary funding, given ongoing reports of excessive force and misconduct, and because broader discretionary powers have been provided to police and PSOs.

Victorian Greens spokesperson for integrity, Dr Tim Read, said IBAC should be empowered and funded to independently oversee the police, rather than the police themselves.

Quotes attributable to Victorian Greens spokesperson for integrity, Dr Tim Read:

“Today’s report means there’s no longer any excuse for allowing police to investigate their friends and colleagues.

“There is now no excuse for the state government not to create a truly independent and well resourced police anti-corruption body.”