Shane Drumgold sues the board of inquiry into Bruce Lehrmann’s case after damning report

Shane Drumgold, the previous ACT Director of Public Prosecutions, is suing a board of inquiry over a damning report that ended his profession.

The matter of Drumgold v Board of Inquiry – Felony Justice System & Ors is listed for listening to within the ACT Supreme Court docket on September 14.

Mr Drumgold resigned in early August over a 600-page report, by former decide Walter Sofronoff, that contained a raft of findings towards him – together with that he knowingly mislead a Chief Justice and misplaced objectivity. 

His final day in workplace was imagined to be September 1, despite the fact that he has been on paid medical depart since Might – when he spent 5 days within the witness field throughout the inquiry.

He has reportedly continued to obtain a weekly wage of $9,266.

Mr Sofronoff’s report was the results of a Board of Inquiry – held at Mr Drumgold’s request – which examined the way in which Bruce Lehrmann’s rape trial was dealt with by police and prosecutors in October final 12 months.

Mr Lehrmann was tried within the ACT Supreme Court docket in October after his former colleague Brittany Higgins alleged he raped her in Parliament Home after an evening out in 2019. He strongly denies the allegations.

The Board of Inquiry was launched after ACT DPP Shane Drumgold (pictured) claimed there was political interference within the investigation into Mr Lehrmann

Brittany Higgins (left) accused Bruce Lehrmann of raping her in Parliament Home. He denies the allegations

The trial initially collapsed as a result of a rogue juror introduced banned analysis materials into the court docket, earlier than Mr Drumgold dropped the matter fully in December citing issues for Ms Higgins’ psychological well being. 

One month earlier than the cost was dropped, Mr Drumgold fired off an e mail to police calling for a Board of Inquiry – the ACT’s model of a royal fee – because he believed Australian Federal Police had conspired not to charge Mr Lehrmann.

In his findings, Mr Sofronoff mentioned he was deeply disturbed’ by Mr Drumgold’s behaviour, likening him to Pontius Pilate – a Roman governor who gave into calls for to crucify Jesus. 

The decide additionally discovered Mr Drumgold knowingly lied to Chief Justice Lucy McCallum about Wilkinson’s infamous Logies speech – throughout which she spoke on tv about Ms Higgins’ allegations as if they had been true, regardless of the approaching jury trial.

After his resignation was introduced, Mr Drumgold slammed Mr Sofronoff’s findings in a defiant assertion – criticising the report for specializing in him slightly than the way in which sexual assault instances are dealt with throughout the authorized system.

The inquiry was chaired by former Queensland decide Walter Sofronoff (pictured). His report contained a raft of damning findings towards Mr Drumgold

‘In my thoughts, the dealing with of the case was reflective of the continual drawback in Australia with the way in which our authorized establishments take care of allegations of sexual violence,’ he wrote. 

‘My hope was that by means of a autopsy of 1 matter, we may acquire a greater understanding of why 87 out of 100 ladies do not report their expertise?’

Mr Drumgold admitted to creating ‘errors’ throughout the case however ‘strongly disputed’ the declare that he was ‘dishonest’ and ‘engaged in deliberate or underhanded conduct within the trial’. 

‘Though I settle for my conduct was lower than good, my choices had been all made in good religion, beneath intense and typically crippling strain, performed inside more and more unmanageable workloads,’ he mentioned. 

Mr Drumgold additionally spoke of his upbringing in authorities housing, saying ‘my profession has been pushed by a fireplace burning inside … Sadly, I discover the fireplace has been extinguished, and check out as I would, I can’t reignite it’. 

‘Though I dispute lots of the findings of the Inquiry, I settle for that the untimely publicity surrounding me signifies that my workplace, the courts and most significantly the ACT public, couldn’t presently place confidence in the discharge of the capabilities of the Director of Public Prosecutions.’

Mr Lehrmann (pictured) mentioned in a press release that Mr Drumgold’s resignation ‘should not be a shock to anybody’ and that it was ‘the very least that ought to occur’