Victorian government moves to protect itself from compensation claims over Lawyer X saga | 7.30

and a special thank you that Carl could be with Victoria police's recruitment of Gangland Barrister Nicola goo to inform against her clients was described by the high court as having debased the criminal justice system it is a shameful episode in the criminal history or the criminal justice history of this state Gobo provided police with intelligence during the height of Melbourne's Gangland war in the late 1990s and early 2000s in 2020 the Royal commission into the lawyer ex Saga said police knew what they were doing was unethical and unprofessional but were unwilling to stop there are certainly the upper echelons of Victoria police are guilty of criminal conduct they've never been prosecuted in a move that has outraged Australia's legal fraternity last month the Victorian government introduced legislation to prevent itself and Victoria Police including any current and former officers from being sued in relation to two human sources Nicola Gobo and murdered ganglands lawyer Joseph aquaro we have not shied away from the wrongdoing of Victoria Police and particular informants in this state and the Damage that it has caused um I have been very upfront in the reasons for this legislation it is draining taxpayer resources it is unprecedented legislation not only in Victoria but around Australia all um the legal bodies around Australia have come out uh vehemently in opposition to it the Turning of Gobo against her clients has tainted potentially more than a thousand criminal convictions Paving the way for multi-million dollar compensation claims people have rights they're they're entitled under the law to exercise them and removing them retrospectively um is the way that uh dictatorships and autocrats carry on three of Nicola goo's former clients have already had criminal convictions overturned drug kingpin Tony McKell is still behind bars but is appealing other charges faroo Orman and zlat fosi were released from jail it's life changing it's one chapter closes another one opens the two men are among at least four lawyer ex civil compensation claims currently before the courts that would be derailed by the Victorian government's legislation for the case that I'm working on at the moment which has been about four years in the Supreme Court with a trial date in April it means it's over Jack Rush is Farooq orman's Barrister Orman is suing Victoria Police for wrongful imprisonment Miss vence in public office and malicious prosecution he served 12 years in prison for a crime he did not commit Nicola goo acted for faroo Orman Nicola goo was a police Informer and Nicola goo was also acting unbeknown to uh the court and faroo Orman for the principal witness and unreliable murder principal witness against Faro Orman she was also acting for and dessing that unreliable witness to give evidence in the case all of that conduct hidden from all the other participants in the criminal proceeding people like Gobo and faroo Orman aren't very sympathetic characters but the principle is what's important because if the government can take away their rights to sue the government when they've been harmed who says they can't do it to you or to me or to anybody else fresh documents have surfaced through orman's civil claim which relate to how Victoria Police used information from goo critics of the bill say if passed there will be no further scrutiny of Victoria Police through civil claims the extent of the criminality has never ever been exposed to the uh Victorian public and I've got no doubt that uh the Victorian government is desperate to make sure that what went on um is never um exposed to the Victorian uh public after getting $2.8 million in compensation from Victoria Police in 2010 Nicola goo is now suing the state for up to $30 million saying police failed to protect her identity and safety the proposed bill would strike out this claim in the meantime police are now expected to fight it in court arguing they were not responsible it does look like a certain rewriting of History given Victoria Police have clearly said in the past they believe they did owe a duty of care to their informers including goo it's estimated The Fallout from the lawyer x scandal has already cost Victorian taxpayers well in excess of $200 million no one from Victoria Police has ever been charged the DPP declined to pursue charges recommended by a special investigative office set up after the Royal commission we think enough's enough we think that Victorian taxpayers uh should have the benefit of a government that can direct all of their resources into the matters that are important to them the Victorian attorney general Jacqueline Sims was unavailable for interview and Victoria Police declined our request the state government faces a battle in getting its special new law through parliament's Upper House 730 understands it may instead propose capping compensation amounts to gain support is that something the opposition would support no no we don't believe this these are matters for courts not for politicians uh these decisions should be made in a court of law according to the law not the government trying to rig the rules with last minute legislation to avoid embarrassment about its own actions coming out through a court case everybody needs to be concerned about legislation that retrospectively remove rights it may not be that here the rights removed or of um the community's favorite Sons but that is is just not something that needs to be taken into account the precedent that is Set uh is profound